A Clan's Pride
by Concubine99
Summary: “He can keep his heir and I will keep you…do we have a deal?” That voice was low and almost caring and Naruto, for the first time, pitied him. Main Pairing: SasuNaru. Warning: Mpreg. The sequel, "Love Between Pride" now up!
1. I Gifts and Glares

-**A Clan's Pride** -

**Summary:** "Naruto! I'm _**serious**_! This is dangerous, it could and most likely will kill you!" When you love someone, you often forget yourself and remember them.

**Warnings:** Yaoi; Mpreg; Angst; Language; Sexual Situations;

**Disclaimer:** Let's keep it short and swift: don't own it.

**Pairing:** SasuNaru, one-sided ItaNaru _other minor Yaoi, Het pairings_

**Beta/Helper:** The beautiful **SolitaryPoison**! Thank you so much for all your help!

* * *

**I. Gifts and Glares**

Naruto hummed to himself as he bounced around the kitchen, miso soup cooking in one pan, rice in another. It was a typical morning and a typical breakfast in the Uchiha compound. Outside the sky was azure blue, cloudless and clear as the sun beat down on Konoha. The familiar scene always made the blonde man smile, but as he surveyed the emptiness of the compound, the lack of noise other than that which he created, the smile became a bit smaller. Not sad as such, but wistful, and a little longing. It would have been nice to fill the empty space of the compound, to hear shouts and laughter echo through the vacant streets.

But Naruto was happy, happier than he had ever been. He had a top class job and brilliant friends, and more important that that, he had Sasuke. The insufferable, annoying, arrogant Uchiha, that he adored more than anything else in the world, including ramen. He had known for far longer than he would admit that if he had Sasuke, he didn't want, or need, anything else. And it had taken Naruto more than a while, stubborn and defensive as he was, to accept that the dark haired man felt the same way. Yet sometimes he couldn't help but wonder, though he knew Sasuke loved him, if the man wanted something more, something Naruto couldn't give him.

"Such a good little housewife," a voice mocked from the doorway. Naruto turned to glare at the smirking Sasuke, cheeks tinted red. He resisted the urge to melt into a puddle of loving goo as the smirk morphed into a familiar, breathtaking smile, and instead stirred the soup.

"Stupid Sasuke-teme," He mumbled under his breath, before raising his voice. "Just 'cause you can't even cook ramen."

Whilst it was a bit of an exaggeration, any idiot could cook ramen, Sasuke couldn't deny that his culinary skills were sincerely lacking, something which Naruto never failed to point out ('ha! Not perfect at everything then teme?'). Unable to deny the taunt, Sasuke merely 'hn'ed, moving to wrap his arms around Naruto's waist and placing a kiss on the tan neck.

"Half an hour 'till breakfast?" Sasuke murmured into the ear of the blonde jinchuuriki. It was a pointless question really, since the answer was always the same, but every morning Sasuke would ask it at 7:30, and every morning Naruto would answer with a nod and a kiss and a sad smile.

Capturing tempting lips in a slow, languid kiss, Sasuke ran a hand through soft, golden hair, before walking out of the door.

* * *

The Uchiha clan had been the largest clan in Konoha, rivaled only by the Hyuuga clan in power, number and importance. Now, all that was left of the once proud clan was memories, the compound and two blood brothers bonded by hate and sin.

It was a bitter truth that Sasuke faced whenever he visited the section in the cemetery reserved for the Uchiha clan. As he walked through the field of tombs, his right hand holding a bouquet of red roses while the other held a variety of flowers, his eyes reading the names of his ancestors until he reached the most resent part of the cemetery, the names no longer memorized but familiar. He came to a stop at two small familiar tombs.

He kneeled in front of the two graves, placed the red roses down besides him before carefully laying the bouquet between the two tombs. "If I remember correctly okaasan, these were your favorite…"

There was an awkward silence and Sasuke looked around, his hands unusually fidgety. "I- I won't be coming here anymore. Not like usual anyways. Even though Naruto doesn't say it, I know he feels guilty. I don't want him thinking about it…"

A sigh passed his lips, "I'm sorry…I know I've asked for your forgiveness many times but… I'm sorry I'm selfish. I'm sorry I'd rather stay here in this village with Naruto then search for Itachi." It was true, Sasuke mused ironically; he would rather stay there, in Konoha village then go in search of his brother. That didn't mean he would hesitate, however, to kill Itachi if he were to ever appear in Konoha again or anywhere near him. "I know it is my duty to restore my clan, otousan but I will not be with anyone else but Naruto. Have I disappointed you…?" the wind blew harshly against his cheek and it felt as if he was slapped.

"I cannot, will not leave Naruto. Screw the Uchiha clan, screw Itachi! I left him once, I'm not about to do it again…I no longer care about pleasing you…" he grabbed the roses, stood and bowed deeply to the two tombs. "I'm sorry to be such a disappointment."

* * *

Naruto served the food with practiced ease, his almost nimble fingers putting the plates, bowls and utensils on the table with enough noise to echo within the large mansion.

"Must you make such a racket?" he turned around with a small huff and a glare, "Shut up teme. I should let you starve."

"Is that anyway to treat the man that brings you roses?" Sasuke asked with a smug smirk as he pulled the hand from behind his back, to show Naruto a bouquet of red blooming roses.

Naruto stared at the bouquet with surprised eyes, his mouth opening slightly before he reached towards them, his hands grasping the roses from his lover's grip. He nuzzled his face gently against the roses, his sensitive nose picking up the fragrance. He looked up at Sasuke and grinned, "You can be so sweet sometimes, Sasuke-teme." He walked out of the dinning room in search for a vase, leaving Sasuke to finish setting the table.

Thin arms wrapped around his waist just as he finished placing the last bowl on the table. "Thanks," was mumbled against his shoulder. Naruto stood on his tiptoes ("I shouldn't have to reach up to kiss you! You should bend down to kiss me, teme!"), and placed a chaste kiss on his neck.

Sasuke turned him around and smirked, "Care to try that again?" Naruto rolled his eyes, but complied. He titled his head slightly, stood on his tiptoes and brushed his lips against Sasuke's. A pale hand brushed against a scarred cheek lovingly, before it traveled down to his neck and disappeared into sun-kissed hair. The other arm wrapped around Naruto's waist, pulling him closer. The kiss turned heated, their tongues battling for dominance, and their wanting bodies pressed together. Naruto pulled away, slightly reluctantly, "Breakfast," he mumbled and Sasuke grunted in annoyance but released the blonde and sat down for breakfast.

"When's your meeting with the Hokage?" Naruto asked, not really eating, not really hungry.

"In about two hours." Sasuke answered as he brought his chopstick to his open mouth.

"Oh…you'll be back when?"

"Four days. Don't you have a mission today as well?"

"Yeah but that's only for a day an' half, two at most. I'll be back before you, teme."

"Hn."

The silence that fell upon them was not awkward but not necessarily comfortable. There wasn't much to talk about in the mornings for nothing generally happens at 8:00am. The mansion was naturally quiet without Naruto's loud voice or Sasuke's taunts.

Sasuke stood up, his plate and bowl almost clean of all food. He'd never admit it but he loved Naruto's cooking, maybe more than he used to love his mother's.

"Going to get ready," he said towards Naruto as he stopped next to him, bent low and kissed him on the forehead.

"Don't let yourself die, teme," Naruto whispered affectionately and Sasuke smirked, "Same thing with you…"

* * *

It was a tradition, a private ritual between them since before Naruto started living with him. He was an ANBU, a captain in fact and thus, his missions usually lead him and his team somewhere out of Fire Country. Their missions varied in length and in degrees of difficulty but these details were irreverent when concerning their little custom.

Sasuke would always bring him something, anything (usually something that was _**something**_). He never failed. His first gift which had started the tradition had been a silver anklet. It had been thin with small carvings on the long links and curvy little hearts on every other link, the hearts almost small enough to be missed.

"_You are aware that I'm not a girl, right Sasuke-teme? There's no way I'm wearing this!"_ Naruto's comment as he examined the jewelry with a critical eye hadn't stop Sasuke and by the end of the night, the thin jewelry was around Naruto's left ankle, his naked body snuggled against Sasuke's equally exposed body. He never took it off.

The second present had been a male kimono the cost more than what Sasuke had on him but he had used his name as credit and told the merchant where to find him. Naruto nearly had a heart attack when the merchant appeared at their door demanding the little fortune.

He had brought him weapons, books, scrolls, jewelry, pictures, hell he once brought back a _rock_ he found on their way back.

"Captain?"

"Hn?"

"We should start heading back. We already retrieved the…" the man's voices trailed off until it was barely above a whisper, "the scroll. We should leave before anyone notices our presences."

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "Are you questioning my abilities, Kimo?" The man shifted behind him, his eyes fidgeting around him. Kimo gave his fellow teammates Kikyo and Hitori a look asking for support but received blank looks, _You're on your own, _they read.

"It's not that Captain. Just-" Kimo cleared his thought in hesitation. For the love of gods, he was almost twice this boy's age, he reasoned, he shouldn't be afraid of the boy, screw the fact that he was an Uchiha.

Summoning up his courage he spoke, "Wanting to buy Naruto-kun a present is no reason to put our mission in danger!"

Kimo heard Hitori and Kikyo gasp followed by the sound of shuffled steps as they created as much distance between them. His Captain stood rigid, his back facing him, no longer walking towards the merchant.

"Kimo-san…can you tell me how we entered this village?" he asked, his voice colder than Kimo had ever heard it, well at least directed towards him.

"Through the front entrance."

"Exactly. Do you know why?" Honestly, he didn't and it seemed as if Sasuke knew of his ignorance for he answered a second after he asked, "This village is known for its wall security. The Hokage made it clear we were not to be caught for then security would become even more impossible to breach, which is the reason why we came through the front entrance disguised as merchants. Although it has not been announced, by now they should have realized the scroll is missing," Sasuke drawled softly, his voice still cold and filled with disdain, "They have us checked in. It will be rather suspicious if we were to not check out."

"Then let's check out," Kimo said through gritted teeth.

Sasuke appeared only a foot away from Kimo, his Sharingan activated and spinning wildly. "Shut up," he hissed and Kikyo let out a sound similar to a yelp at the anger that radiated off of their captain.

"We are disguised as merchants you _idiot_. They are most likely checking the belongings of those who are checking out. If we leave with the image of having not bought anything, they will become suspicious. We need to buy something. So shut up before someone hears you speaking about our mission and stop thinking you know more than I because frankly you don't. Do as your ordered, you pathetic imbecile." He gave him one final glare before he began walking once more to the merchant, his somewhat good mood ruined.

Kikyo sighed behind Kimo, "I'd advise you never to question the Captain unless you are absolutely sure you're right, the exception being when you're talking about Naruto-san; **never** argue about Naruto-san with the Captain."

Hitori nodded in agreement, "The subject of Naruto-san is a big no-no. Trust us, we've been his subordinate since he became Captain and it's easier just to either agree with him or keep quiet. Never failed before."

Kimo frowned deeply, "He's nineteen! He's almost half your age, Kikyo, _I'm_ **more** than twice his age!"

"Ssh! You want him to hear!" Kikyo hissed with a glare and a worried glance towards where their Captain stood, "Shut up you idiot. You keep up this attitude and he's going to punch your skull in."

"Look, we understand how you feel, I mean do you honestly think _**we**_ were happy when we found out we were going to be taken orders from a _teenager_?" Hitomi whispered.

"But he's a good captain and an elite shinobi. You'll be glad soon enough that he is our captain."

"Kikyo!" Their gazes shifted towards where their Captain stood, his back still towards them, "Come here." Kikyo sauntered towards him, "Yes?"

"Is this the type of cloak that family wanted? I can't remember," Sasuke said indifferently as he pointed towards a few cloaks towards the left of the merchant.

Kikyo caught on quickly enough as she always did and answered, "Yes…they said they'd appreciate it more if we got them in black."

"Hm. You heard the woman, five of those cloaks in black if you have them."

"Yes, I believe I do in the back." The merchant disappeared behind the small market and Kikyo turned towards her Captain with a raised eyebrow, "Care to explain, Uchiha-san?"

"We'll wrap the scroll with one of the cloaks before we head towards the front entrance and keep it in your sack underneath whatever you have inside there, and then put two cloaks above your belongings. The rest, you will hold visibly," he smirked, "I've come to realize that most people overlook you for some reason."

Kikyo grinned at her Captain, "Most likely because I'm a woman."

"No, it's because you tend to smile an idiotic grin, just like Naruto," the last part was merely a mumble but Kikyo heard it and her heart clenched almost painfully at the comparison.

"Should I take that as a compliment?" she asked cheekily. Sasuke gave her a look with a raised eyebrow before continuing his search for whatever he was still searching for in the small market completely missing (or maybe ignoring) the blush that spread upon her fine cheeks.

The merchant returned with the cloaks in hand and Sasuke pointed to a necklace that had caught his eyes only a moment ago. "What? That old thing?"

"Yes, how much?" he asked as he handed the cloaks to Kikyo.

The merchant snorted, "You can take it. It's just some silly rubbish, has no value whatsoever."

"Silly rubbish?" Sasuke repeated slowly as the merchant handed him the pelt necklace with an obsidian pendent hanging by a thin clip.

"Some old woman gave it to me, something about it protecting love ones." The merchant snorted again as he began to count the money given to him by Sasuke, "Rubbish, I tell you."

"Indeed," Sasuke agreed but he knew Naruto and thus knew about his naïve belief in these kinds of rubbish.

He turned to face Kikyo, "Have everything set?" he asked with a certain look towards her sack and a raised eyebrow.

"Of course. What do I look like, an idiot? I know how to put some cloaks in my sack!" she huffed annoyed as she made her way to her other teammates.

The merchant grinned toothly, "Girl trouble huh?"

Sasuke, not for the first time, was mildly impressed with Kikyo's acting and her uncanny ability of knowing what his causal messages meant.

* * *

He could hear the soft creak of the ancient compound, the sound of the wind hitting the house, the whisper of ghost. He shivered as a sudden coldness entered him.

His pace quickened, wanting to get away from the cold. His hands fidgeted nervously and his body shuddered as if the freezing air was wrapping its tentacles around him, seizing him, trapping him. He sprinted towards the door almost desperately now yet refused to run; he still had some pride. He reached out towards the knob, his hands trembling and just as quickly he was inside, the door shut quickly and harshly as if to slam the door in the cold's nonexistent face.

He would never tell anyone, especially Sasuke but when he was alone in the Uchiha compound, feelings of resentment and despair would engulf him to the point were breathing was no longer an option. He could practically feel eyes filled with hatred and umbrage drilling holes on the back of his head. Those eyes, there were times when they disappeared, usually when he was with Sasuke or when someone come to visit but since recently, the eyes had become almost unbearable.

He picked up the lamp lying innocently enough on the table near the door. He blew into the lamp and a flame ignited (a trick he learned from Sasuke) and he walked towards the left corner where a desk rested against a wall. If anything, the Uchiha had too many libraries. The main complex had two libraries, one of them on the second floor while the other not so much a library but a study that was located near the kitchen.

The library on the second floor was of enormous size, shelves against the walls were filled with ancient and modern scrolls and tomes reaching from the ground to the ceiling. The library had only two tables, one on the left and another almost near the center. He reached the desk at the left corner, reached into his pocket for the small key and unlocked the drawer of the desk. He took out a scroll, his movement careful and slightly hesitant.

With a look over his shoulder ('_paranoia is Sasuke-teme's thing not mine!'_), he sat down and opened the first scroll.

He had found the scroll in Tsunade-baa-chan's office and had nicked it during her absence, and seeing as he had yet to be thrown through a wall, he guessed she had not noticed its absence. Why would she anyways, he mused, it _was _at the back of that shelf. He wouldn't have noticed himself if it wasn't for the fact that he had originally been looking for something and had noticed the sealed scroll and, letting his natural curiosity get the better of him (as he usually did), he took it, promising to return it. That was three month ago.

It had taken three month for him to finish the scroll. Not that it was long (ok, it was long but not that long) nor was it really difficult. He just simply didn't have a lot of time. Sasuke was too observant for his own good and the last thing Naruto needed was him finding out about the scroll.

He bit his lip hard enough to draw blood but he paid no mind to the pain, his mind going over all the possibilities. He wanted to do this, gods did he want to…but…

He shook his head as if to force the thoughts out of his mind. He stood abruptly, the chair tipping over by the sudden movement. His gaze wondered around the library as if in a daze but then they landed on the Uchiha symbol engraved on a wall free of shelves and his breath hitched. "You hate me I bet…" he mumbled, his eyes staring at the symbol as if it was a terrifying sight, "You hate me for killing your clan. I know it, because of me Sasuke-" he stopped his rant, his eyes watering and in a desperate move, he wiped his eyes angrily, his lips twisting into a frown, "No, _**no**_. Do you hear me you damn bastard, no. I'm not going to be the murderer of this clan, do you fucking hear me!" He spun around so fast he heard his back crack but he ignored it as he grabbed the scroll carelessly and sprinted out of the library, his mind set up and final.

* * *

Tsunade knew the moment she woke up that today was not going to be a good day, not necessarily a bad day but certainly a little below average. The moment Naruto barged into her office, the guards trailing after him, she knew her day was just about to reach the level of "bad day".

"Baa-chan! Tell them to lay off will ya?" Naruto whined as one of the guards grabbed him by the arm while the other grabbed his shoulder.

"We're sorry, Hokage-sama, we'll escort him-"

"Baa-chan! I really need to talk to you! Come on!" Naruto wrestled out of their grip and walked towards Tsunade whose expression started to twist with anger.

"Shut up you little brat!"

"Tsunade-baa-chan…" Naruto whined, "I really do need to talk to you, seriously!"

The Hokage sighed and with a roll of her eyes waved dismissively towards the guards. They nodded and left without a glance towards the blonde.

"What is it Naruto. I'm busy and not in the best of moods," she said as she looked down at the papers in front of her, her brows wrinkling in concentration, but something hit her desk and she blinked in surprise at the scroll.

She looked up at Naruto with a blank look. Naruto grinned almost sheepishly, "I kinda took that about three months ago…"

"…"

Naruto cleared his throat nervously, Tsunade's gaze unnerving, "Tsunade-sama…I- we need to talk."

Tsunade's gaze did not change nor shift, "I believe we do Naruto."

* * *

Ok! The first chapter of my new story! I know I shouldn't be starting a new one with my other story there and everything but, I really wanted to write it so here I am! Tell me what you guys think, REVIEW! (.)


	2. II Feather Heavy Touches

-**A Clan's Pride** -

**Summary:** "Naruto! I'm _**serious**_! This is dangerous, it could and most likely will kill you!" When you love someone, you often forget yourself and remember them.

**Warnings:** Yaoi; Mpreg; Angst; Language; Sexual Situations;

**Disclaimer:** Let's keep it short and swift: don't own it.

**Pairing:** SasuNaru, one-sided ItaNaru _other minor Yaoi, Het pairings_

**Beta/Helper:** Unbetaed

* * *

**II. Feather Heavy Touches**

Tsunade's stare penetrated his whole being and he fidgeted under such a stare, not knowing what to say or how to say it. Tsunade broke the silence instead and Naruto wasn't sure if he was thankful for it.

"Is this Uchiha's doing?" she asked with such coldness in her eyes that Naruto was slightly surprised, but it left just as quickly as his anger entered. "_**No**_!" He shouted angrily. His eyes and tone softened but his voice was just as firm, "No…he doesn't even know…"

Tsunade raised an eyebrow in slight surprise and something close to glee.

His glare hardened catching the almost hidden look, "And you're not going to say anything to him!" he jeered hastily, not caring he was talking to the Hokage or the legendary Tsunade.

"Remember who you're talking to brat," she warned him through gritted teeth, her hands gripping the table to the point where Naruto could hear the hard wood cracking.

"Please…baa-chan…I just- listen to me please," he pleaded, taking a step towards her desk.

"I'm not going to do it." Tsunade said firmly without a hint of emotion or hesitation.

Naruto's face twisted in pain, "Please…I want this so much!"

"You want this for the Uchiha!" she hissed, "and I'm not going to be part of this idiotic plan of yours, now get out, I have work to do!" she glared heatedly at the paper in front of her, the characters not making any sense to her peeved mind.

"Fine…" Naruto said slowly, his voice small. He turned towards the door but threw over his shoulder a quick and sharp, "You're not the only medic-nin…"

"But I am Hokage!" she snapped back quickly, "Even if you do manage to find a medic-nin skilled enough to perform the seal and uncaring enough to do it, they won't."

"And why's that? You gunna make a new law Hokage?" Naruto shouted with a certain familiar sneer.

Tsunade smiled thinly, "You know me well, _Na-ru-to_."

She expected him to continue yelling, to throw a temper tantrum, to break a couple things. She was prepared for that. She did not expect him to fall on his knees a couple feet away from her.

"Please, _please!_ Damn it, all I'm asking from you is your help."

Tsunade shook her head slowly as she stood up and walked towards the fallen ninja. She kneeled down next to him and grabbed his chin motherly, "Get up, Naruto."

"Please Tsunade-nee-chan…" Tsunade breathed in sharply at the endearing suffix, "I want to do this…I want to make Sasuke happy, I want to restore the clan, I want him to have an heir, I want to be the one to give it to him, _please_…"

"Stop thinking about him for once, Naruto and think about yourself! This will be taxing on you, you are going to be the one to suffer, not him!"

"Please…"

"Naruto,"

"Please, damn it! Please!"

"I'm not going to perform this damn seal so that the damn Uchiha can be happy! He already has you!"

"It's not only about him!" Naruto snapped at last and Tsunade was taken back by the fire in his eyes, "I want a child damn it, I want to hold my baby that is also Sasuke's, I want to be a family, I wanna be the one that restores the Uchiha clan, I wanna be the one that makes Sasuke's dream come true. I want this also for me," he finished off with a whisper.

"Naruto…" she brought him into an embrace, his head tucked under his head, "My little boy…I don't want to be the reason you die…"

"I won't die…"

"You don't know that!"

"I do!"

"Naruto!" she snapped, pulling him roughly away from her and shaking him by the shoulders, "I'm _**serious**_! This is dangerous; it could and most likely will kill you!"

Naruto smiled sadly, "Then I want to die giving life to my baby…"

* * *

"This table is cold…"

"In a minute the last thing on your mind will be the table, Naruto," Tsunade said softly, stiffly, as she pulled at the gloves on her hands.

Naruto smiled nervously, "I trust you."

Tsunade's solemn expression did not change, in fact it seemed to become even more depressing, "Are you sure about this, you can still reconsider…"

"No. No, just- get it over with," he said as he closed his eyes tightly, his hands clenching into tight fists. Tsunade nodded –although Naruto couldn't see the movement- but did not move to preside. She stared at the boy lying on the cold metal table, her stomach knotting uncomfortably and her mouth tasting like bile.

He was so small…he had grown since she met him but not much –eating ramen regularly instead of food with actual nutrients will do that to you- but he had grown older. He still had a too skinny physique in her opinion and still had that rich, healthy tan. He hadn't grown out his hair, cutting it regularly in the same hairstyle of his younger years but his face was not as round, though it could never be considered angular. His shirt was somewhere on the floor, his stomach, and more importantly the seal, visible.

She sighed as if to discard all her raging emotions. Her fingers glowed as her chakra gathered, "On the bright side, if you survive the sealing, your chances of surviving the whole ideal increases by 10", she mumbled before her right hand descended down on his stomach swiftly.

Her fingers pressed down on his skin around his navel and with a light press of her fingers and a shock of chakra, the pain began.

At first it was just a slight dull ache but it soon turned sharp, pulsing and overwhelming. Naruto chocked on his sobs and screams, not knowing which sound to utter. Tsunade bit her lips as Naruto tried to stay still, he had to for this to work. She brought her other hand down and began forming the seal.

It was a large one that extended from his sternum to just bit below his navel and reaching out his sides.

"Oh gods!" Naruto gritted his teeth, his nails clawing the metal table as he fought against the pain.

_Butterflies, the Sun, the moon, the day Sasuke proposed he live with him, their first kiss, their first time, Sasuke, Sasuke, our baby, Sasuke, Sasu- _

"SHIT AWWWW! Oh Gods!" Naruto cursed and yelled, his eyes squeezing so hard that they too started to ache.

"Almost done, Naruto…" Tsunade said through pursed lips as she made the final details of the seal. She retreated her left hand but kept her right, her fingers still around the navel. She sent a pulsing amount of controlled chakra through him and then manipulated it, twisted it and changed it until the seal was complete. She pulled back her hand as if burned and Naruto sat up too fast for a moment later he fell back onto the metal table with a dull thump, unconscious.

Her fingers found their way to his neck and she felt for a pulse. She held her breath for what felt like an eternity before she released it in one swift sigh as she felt the steady pulse.

"You have a 52 chance of surviving this Naruto…" she whispered pathetically as she combed her fingers through his surprisingly soft hair.

"Uchiha better be worth this Naruto because if he isn't, so help me-" She let the sentence trail as she watched the seal turn a pale gray.

* * *

He woke up still on the metal table, a thin layer of sweat covering his body. "Tsunade…?" he called out, his voice hoarse. His stomach hurt as he sat up, but it was nothing compared to many other times and so he ignored it, "Baa-chan!"

"Hold on!" came a shout through the only door in the room and Naruto grinned slightly. He pushed himself off the table and stood on shaky legs.

"What are you doing up! Sit down!"

"I'm fine-"

"You just had a dangerous seal put on you! You passed out! You're-"

"I'm _fine_. I need to go baa-chan. My team is waiting for me. I'm late as it is…"

Tsunade walked towards and rested her clammy hand on his abdomen. "At least let me check the seal."

Naruto sighed and rolled his eyes childishly, "Fine but hurry up, baa-chan," he whined. Tsunade bit back a smile, glad that Naruto was back to his old self.

"Those brats of yours can wait a couple more minutes."

"Fine but seriously hurry up, I don't wanna be another Kakashi!"

* * *

Not for the first time did he noticed the similarities. How could he not? The Third taught Orochimaru, Jiraiya and Tsunade; one girl who was slightly flirtatious and a medic-nin, a loud-mouth energetic twit, and the silent, broody one. In turn, Jiraiya taught the Fourth who was sensei of Obito, Rin and Kakashi-sensei. Obito was the loud-mouth energetic twit, Rin the flirtatious medic-nin and Kakashi-sensei the silent, broody one. Kakashi-sensei grows up to be the sensei of Sasuke, Sakura and himself. Sasuke was the silent broody one, Sakura the flirtatious medic-nin and reluctantly he admits he would be considered the loud-mouth, energetic twit although **he** **was** _**not**_ a twit.

Now, his own genin team seemed to have followed the unique pattern. It was odd really, how he was a sensei to a team disturbingly similar to Team Seven, his old team. The team consisted of Nao, a petite boy with large amber eyes and long black hair whose family was originally from the Wave country, a tall lean boy with short cut black hair and icy azure eyes by the name of Satoshi and Hitomi, the only girl and a cute one at that, with her obsidian black eyes and black short hair.

When Naruto first met Nao, his first impression was that the boy reminded him of Haku. That idea disappeared the moment the boy opened his mouth. _Boy,_ was that boy **loud**. Then there was Satoshi. The boy was blunt to the point of being rude, confident to the point of arrogance and his humor just as sardonic as Sasuke's. Hitomi did not like loud people and thus did not like Nao. She liked Satoshi though (surprise, surprise) and was practically Sakura's copy except Hitomi knew she would never be a ninja; she wanted to be a medic-nin and thrived for such a career.

When they first met, he made them introduce themselves and while he expected them to just tell boring details about themselves like what they liked, what they hated, Nao went one step further and told him almost everything possible.

"_Well, my family moved from Wind Country to Konoha when I was born. I'm an only child. Okaasan left chichiue and me a year after our arrival here, my favorite flowers are orchids, I hate bananas, mean jerks," at this he threw Satoshi a withering glare, "and okaasan. I love chichue, candy and apples, especially green apples or those apples that are red but have some yellow and green strips on them! I also like to train, especially when I train with Satoshi. I want to be an ANBU or at least a jounin. I talk a lot and I'm kinda loud but that's ok! My only friend is Satoshi because Satoshi is an asshole and scares everyone away but that's ok I guess 'cus he's my best friend. Chichiue-"_

He continued on a rant and by the time Naruto told him to just _shut up_, Naruto knew more about him than he knew about most of his friends.

Of course, Satoshi had spoken in a brisk, impersonal tone: "_Hn, I too am an only child. I hate idiots, annoyances, clingy women and weak people. I like training and any spicy food. My parents are both medic-nin although okaasan use to be a jounin. I want to be an ANBU."_

And although he felt that Hitomi was very similar to Sakura, Sakura was never so frank about her crush on Sasuke or her dislike for him: "_I want to be a medic-nin but I want to reach Chuunin rank before that. I like Satoshi. I don't like Nao, he's too loud, annoying and is prettier than I am, I mean come on! What kind of boy is prettier than a girl? I also like any type of seafood except fish. I don't like training very much and my taijutsu sucks ass but my genjutsu is pretty good, better then good actually."_

-Sensei! Sensei!" Naruto zoomed back to reality and looked down from the branch he stood agilely, letting out a dazed, "huh?"

"Sensei! You're late!" Nao screamed and Naruto flinched at the boy's volume. Hitomi cuffed him harshly and Nao let out a yelp. He rubbed the sore spot, his lip quivering slightly and his large amber eyes growing larger. Naruto had to admit, Nao was a very pretty boy, adorable even.

Satoshi glared mildly at Hitomi as he grabbed Nao towards him and rubbed his head almost lovingly, "Watch your fist Hitomi before you break his skull. Last thing he needs is to get dumber." Naruto noted almost amusingly how Hitomi's frame shook with jealousy and envy and how Nao pushed himself away from Satoshi's chest and glared, "I don't need your help and what's that suppose to mean, me getting stupider?"

Satoshi titled his head back, his fingers still in Nao's tresses. "Well you're not the brightest crayon in the box, Nao,"

Nao looked just about ready to punch the arrogant boy and Naruto sighed, "Satoshi, let go of Nao before he punches you, Nao don't you _**dare**_ yell and Hitomi I keep telling you not to go around hitting Nao, you're going to break something one of these days."

Satoshi grunted annoyed before letting go of Nao's tresses and waist. Nao's lips were pursed together in an attempt to keep his mouth shut and Hitomi looked just about ready to protest.

"But sensei! He's so-"

"Don't care." Naruto said deadpanned as he jumped from the branch and in front of them, "Alright, we're going to be doing some weapon practice," he said, a grin forming. His hand rubbed his still slightly sore stomach, something not lost to the genin.

"Nao, put your hair up, you'll be practicing with me; Hitomi you're against Satoshi."

Nao pulled the band from his wrist and pulled his hair back into a messy chignon. He grinned and said, "Ready Naruto-sensei!" as he pulled twin knives strapped to the side of his waist.

Naruto glanced towards Hitomi and Satoshi who were already fighting before turning his attention towards the petite boy. He unsheathed his sword strapped on his back and grimaced at the movement.

"You ok sensei?" Nao asked with his amber eyes clouding up in concern. Naruto grinned, "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit bruised up is all."

"Oh, ok…I'll go easy on you then!"

Naruto laughed childishly, "I don't think that's a good idea, Nao. Just give it your all, ok?"

"Ok….if you say so…"

The clicking of metal against metal, harsh breathing and quick steps sounded in the training area and for some reason, although the clouds soon turned gray, some black and they shielded the sun, not one drop of rain fell, almost as if the clouds did not wish to part with their baggage.

They continued their practice although the three genin had tired long ago and their steps were not as agile as before, they did not stop nor did they think of asking their sensei when he was planning on dismissing them. They just simply trained, every once and awhile changing partners or working together (usually the genin against the sensei).

Maybe that was why when Naruto had pulled away from Satoshi's kunai and had jumped to a tree branch, he had blinked and smiled at them sheepishly, "Wow, it's getting really late and you guys must be tired. Go home."

He disappeared from his perch, not waiting to see if they were going to leave or not.

Nao dropped down to his butt, his breath labor and his small frame shaking, "Ouch…I hurt…"

Satoshi pushed his wet hair away from his face, a grunt escaping his lips while Hitomi tried to get the kinks out of her system, "Was it just me or was sensei distracted today and just a bit…."

"Odd?"

"Weird?"

"Distant?"

"Yeah…"

"Maybe he's worried about something", Nao said, his bare feet brushing against and curling with the grass.

"Come to think of it…I saw Uchiha-san leave three days ago for his mission. Maybe that's why he's worried."

Satoshi grunted again, "Whatever. As long as he can still teach, I don't care much." He pulled Nao onto his feet, "Let's go. Your father is probably getting worried", he said, not sparing Hitomi a glance.

Nao nodded, and mumbled a simple, "K."

He followed Satoshi but stopped as if remembering something. He turned towards Hitomi who had not moved from where she had stood and smiled at her, "Bye Mi-chan!"

Hitomi rolled her eyes but let a small smile grace her beautiful face, "Bye idiot, Satoshi-kun." She watched them leave, Satoshi's hand around Nao's wrist and let out a small sigh.

Nao, she had to admit was adorable and had this certain air around him that made one want to protect him (although the boy needed no physical protection whatsoever) and she knew that Satoshi and Nao had been best friends since they were two years old but she couldn't help but be jealous of them, of how Satoshi always took his side in arguments, of how he always paid attention to Nao, of how he always accompanied the petite boy almost everywhere. She couldn't help but be jealous of how Satoshi _**touched**_ him. Damn it, she's loved Satoshi since they were five! So why, why didn't he ever pay the littlest bit of attention towards her?

* * *

The pain had submitted to nothing by morning and the seal had faded from view something Naruto was thankful for. He did not want Sasuke asking questions. He had woken up earlier than normal and although he was tired, he couldn't fall back to sleep. So he laid in bed simply thinking. He lay beneath and wrapped around the thick blanket, the coldness of the manor normal for the time of year.

'_Note to self, turn on heater.'_

His whole body shuddered and he brought the comforter closer to his body, his lips pushing out into a childish pout. _'Wish teme was here, he could warm me up…'_his face heated up until it rivaled a tomato once he realized the innuendo of his words, "Not that way," he mumbled pathetically to himself. He glanced towards the clock on the nightstand and was shock to realize more than an hour had gone by. He sighed almost dramatically before pushing the covers off his slim figure. He grabbed the towel, deciding to simply take a shower (less troublesome) instead of the bathhouse outside.

The cold air hit his exposed body as he undressed and entered the shower. He wasted no time on turning the shower, the cold water hitting him almost harshly before the heated water could and he let out a yelp in surprise. _'Great, now I'm colder…'_ he cursed and mumbled under his breath while scrubbing his skin until it was pink and soft before turning off the showerhead. He stepped out of the shower, dried off quickly and entered their room and towards their closet.

Their closet was an amusing sight. One side was all shades of dark blue, white, and black (the Dark Side as he once drolly called it) while on the left it was all shades of orange, bright blue, white, and some black with a few scattered khakis (the Light Side). He grabbed his least favorite shirt and pair of pants, blushing. He had learned it the hard way; NEVER wear a favorite shirt or pants on Sasuke's day back from a relatively long mission. Chances are, it'll be rages and shreds by the end of the day.

His cheeks, which were returning to normal tone, reddened and he shook his head furiously, childishly.

He smiled a small smile. He had missed Sasuke but he couldn't help but feel hesitant.

'_Damn it…'_

* * *

Sasuke thanked whatever deity that existed that the mission was over. Don't get him wrong, he loved his job but he could not stand another day with that- that _**imbecile**_!

"Hokage-sama," they acknowledged as one while bowing towards their Leader. She nodded her head in acknowledgement as she leaned back against her chair, "The scroll Captain?"

Sasuke handed the scroll to her and bowed, "The mission was a success. To my knowledge, they do not suspect us."

"Good. Last thing we need is conflict between them and us." She eyed the team in front of her. They stood in perfect posture and formation, their mask either in their hands or slide off their face to the side. She noticed the deep frown tugging the newest member of their group and the annoyed look gracing the Uchiha's features. The atmosphere was thick with tension and anger.

She raised an eyebrow in question, "Anything wrong, Captain?"

"No."

"And you Kimo-kun?"

"Of course not Hokage-sama," he said with a deep bow.

"Hmm…alright." She said curtly with narrowed eyes not believing them for a moment, "Whatever it is, resolve it. I don't want it interfering with your work. You're dismissed. Go get your payment."

"Hai!"

"Captain," Tsunade called out and she was slightly peeved that they all had stopped, not just the Uchiha. "Captain, once you become aware of _**it**_, come see me."

Sasuke threw her a questioning, albeit still annoyed and stoic glance. "You're dismissed." She said before turning to the scroll just delivered.

They, unfortunately, went to retrieve their pay together. Sasuke dark mood darkened slightly at the realization. They stood behind a genin group with their sensei and by the look of things, they would be there a while.

"Teme!" Sasuke turned around (who else would the loud shout be directed to?) as did his team and most of the whole room. A blur of orange and khaki flung itself at Sasuke and was caught in a loose embrace easily enough by the dark-haired shinobi.

"Dobe. What are you doing here?"

"I should ask you the same thing," Naruto said as he grinned, "You're early, I expected you to get here later on."

Sasuke glanced to the left without moving his head and Naruto noticed his sneer, "Yeah, just couldn't wait to get home and away from idiots."

Naruto rolled his eyes and said knowingly, "You're a bastard. Not everyone, believe it or not, likes your cocky-ass attitude." He pushed himself out of his embrace and faced the rest of the time, "Hey guys! Long time no see."

"Naruto-san," they acknowledged almost simultaneously. Naruto's nose wrinkled cutely, "You guys are weird. It's Naruto, just Naruto. Geez."

-I'm telling you! You got the amount wrong!" They turned towards the group in front of them and sighed at the sight of one of the genin about ready to hit the man behind the small desk.

Sasuke snorted at the sight but turned his attention back to Naruto quickly, "Why are you here anyway?"

"The damn heater wasn't workin' right. I swear, it sounded like some animal was being slaughtered in there! But anyway, I came here to get a guy to come over and change it and then some pompous ass goes and tells me I can't order anything up for the Uchiha compound 'cus I ain't no Uchiha." Naruto snorted and rolled his eyes, "The damn jackass and his uptight attitude. Once you're done picking up your payment, go talk to the jackass and tell him you want a new heater, _Uchiha_. It's getting too cold in that damn house and I'm not going to use that nosy old thing." Naruto looked down at his watch, "Look I got to go see Shikamaru about something. I'll see you later." Sasuke leaned down and Naruto brushed his lips against his, "I left you something to eat just in case you were hungry and I ran up the water in the bathhouse, just need to heat it."

Sasuke smirked, "What a good litt-" Naruto punched his shoulder **hard** and Sasuke almost winced. Almost.

"Shut it you ass," Naruto growled, his lips pursing together. With an annoyed huff, he turned around ready to go but at the last minute, remembered about the others and turned towards them slightly, ignoring Sasuke, "Bye guys! Come around sometime and we can catch up!"

Sasuke massaged his mistreated shoulder, glaring at a speck on the floor. Kikyo snickered, "That must have hurt Captain. I could have sworn I heard something crack."

"Watch out Captain, he seems abusive." Hitori added his two cents with an amused smile and Sasuke glared at them. Kimo snorted, in amusement or malice, Sasuke couldn't quite tell but he didn't like it.

His eyes narrowed in bemusement. There was just something about Kimo that Sasuke did not like. When Naruto had appeared, he could practically feel his gaze on his back which moved to Naruto once Naruto came into Kimo's view. He bit down his jealousy at the thought of the older shinobi eyeing _his_ blonde.

"Next!" Sasuke shifted his attention to the man behind the desk, the genin team and their jounin already moving towards the door.

"What can I help you with?"

Sasuke kept his gaze on Kimo and made a mental note to keep a sharp eye on him. There was just something uncomfortable yet so undeniably familiar about the man, that Sasuke was slightly surprised he just realized it that day. The first time he met Kimo, he instantly knew he did not like the man and never would yet he could never truly figure out why (although he knew he didn't always need a reason to dislike a person). He definitely did not like Kimo's particular interest or sometimes indifference towards Naruto.

His frown deepened. Definitely keep an eye on him. Definitely.

* * *

Naruto stood at the front of his door, reluctant to open it. Once he opened that door, he would go find Sasuke, they would…yeah…and then he would have to tell Sasuke what he did. But what if Sasuke didn't…or what if he somehow found out before they…

No! Naruto shook his head, "_No_, stop thinking about it Naruto…at this rate, you'll start to rethink stuff…no, no, no, nope! Stop it!" he chanted over and over, shaking his head as if to through the unwanted thoughts from his mind.

"_**You are aware, Kit, that once it's done, it's done. You can't go back. So just decide, either open the door or run to the old hag and have her redo the seal…maybe she can…"**_

The deep voice surprised Naruto and he jumped in slight shock. "Kyuubi?"

"_**Who else?"**_

"You're…"

_**I'm still angry at you. I disapprove of this completely and I was intending on giving you the silent treatment for all eternity but your worrying was annoying! So JUST GO."**_

"You haven't spoken to me in a week and now-"

"_**Just shut up. I was annoyed with you, still am. The damn Uchiha isn't worth it but it's not my decision so like I said, either go in and face the music or try to redo everything."**_

"…fine…"

"_**Goodbye kit." **_

"You're not leaving me are you?" He was met with silence and Naruto couldn't help but let out a shaky breath that threatened to turn into a sob.

"Time to face the music…" He entered the key into the knob before turning it and walking inside. "Sasuke-teme! I'm home!"

Sasuke appeared a moment later, "You're back rather late."

"My talk with Shikamaru lasted longer than I thought. Lazy, stubborn ass."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow in amusement as his arm wrapped around Naruto's waist while his left hand grasped Naruto's neck lovingly.

Naruto shook slightly and he frowned in worry, "Naruto are you-" but Naruto cut him off with a kiss. His hands sought out the buttons of his shirt furiously and Sasuke's hold of his waist tightened.

Naruto moaned, his mouth parting slightly and Sasuke took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, his tongue searching and mapping out Naruto's sweet mouth as if this was there first kiss.

He parted away from the mouth, more than a bit reluctantly all the while pushing back his lust with a bat, "Naruto are you-"

Naruto growled almost in warning as his hand pushed past the waistband of the pants, his nimble cold hands grabbing Sasuke almost roughly, "Just shut up and-"

A hungry kiss silenced him.

* * *

OK! I'm sooo sorry that I haven't updated when I said I would which was early this week at the most but a couple things have come up. My grandmother has come to visit and I'm spending time with her and although I finished this chapter on Tuesday, my beta has been very busy and hasn't been able to return the betaed version so yeah!

Anyway for those of you interested, **Swift Tendency** will be updated soon enough (sorry for the long wait guys!) and this story will be updated soon as well. Also, I'm going to update **Incidental Experience** soon for all of you who have reviewed the story.

Sorry for such slow updates but I'll try my best this summer to get in as many chapters as possible! Anyway, Hope you guys liked this chapter and I'm sorry if the small intimate scene is kinda dry but I was tired and I'm not all that experienced in writing Yaoi lemons so please forgive me! Anyway, I'm still deciding how to start the next chapter, following what happens now or skip to the day after 'cus I don't wanna get in trouble with mumbles stupid rule about no lemons and whatnot…

ANYWAY! Thank you so much for the reviews! I loved them and keep them coming guys, they make me want to write! REVIEW!


	3. III Split Decisions

-**A Clan's Pride** -

**Summary:** "Naruto! I'm _**serious**_! This is dangerous, it could and most likely will kill you!" When you love someone, you often forget yourself and remember them.

**Warnings:** Yaoi; Mpreg; Angst; Language; Sexual Situations;

**Disclaimer:** Let's keep it short and swift: don't own it.

**Pairing:** SasuNaru, one-sided ItaNaru _other minor Yaoi, Het pairings_

**Beta/Helper:** Unbetaed

* * *

**III. Split Decisions **

_The sun was hidden behind the thick clouds of the atmosphere, its rays barely warming and the air smelled of rain. _

_The Kohona Village expected a shower soon._

_Naruto however didn't care about the weather. He stood at the front door of the main house of the Uchiha compound having in inner battle with himself. _

_He wanted to be selfish so badly, he truly did. He wanted to ignore what that woman had said and ignore Ino and Sakura's conversation but he couldn't. _

"_-the once proud Uchiha clan will be extinct in a matter of years because of that demon who killed half our numbers-" her words became sharper as the aged woman caught sight of Naruto._

"_-I want him to be happy-"_

"_He's happy with Naruto."_

"_Yeah, but-"_

"_-You just don't think he could be happy with Naruto…"_

"_It's not that-"_

"_Yes it is." Ino had shrugged almost nonchalantly. "Just admit it to me at least. You hate Naruto for taking Sasuke away from you."_

"_Naruto is one of my best friends, Ino! I'm not as low as you!"_

"_I've given up on Sasuke long ago, I have no reason to hate Naruto and if I did, I would be honest with myself and admit it."_

"_-I don't hate Naruto…I could __**never**__ hate him but I- he- because of him," Sakura's voice lowered to below a whisper but he still heard her, "Sasuke's dreams will never become a reality, I just can't forgive him for that. He's being selfish…"_

_Naruto bit his lip so as to keep the sob that tried to escape as the memories of that day and of previous days flowed behind his eyes. It was Sakura's last comment that had driven him to his decisions but __**god **__was it hard and painful. _

_He knocked on the door loudly and waited for his lover to open the door. He did not have to wait long for Sasuke soon stood before him, his dark impassive eyes seeming to gain an almost unnoticeable light within them._

"_Naruto, what are you doing here? We agreed that we would move your belongings in the-" Sasuke stopped abruptly as he noticed Naruto's wretched expression that seemed to twist with misery at every passing second until finally Naruto cracked and a sob escaped. _

_Sasuke took a step towards him but Naruto took a step back, earning a frown from his lover._

"_Naruto, what's wrong with you?"_

_Naruto swallowed the lump in his throat. He couldn't say it-_

"_Sasuke…" _

"_Yes?" _

"_I-" his throat constricted and no matter how much he tried, he could not utter the simple words._

"_**Kit, are you sure about this?" **__The echoed words seemed to open his throat and it was no longer as impossible to speak as it was a moment ago. _'I'm sure; I just have to get my mouth working' _he thought before a sigh escaped through his hardly parted lips_

"_Remember when you said you'd choose me over your clan?"_

"…_Yes…" Sasuke said with a frown, already guessing where the conversation was headed. _

"_You don't…" Naruto bit his lips and forced a smile on his face that was and most likely looked fake, "You don't have to anymore." The tears that had gathered fell and stained the scarred cheeks, "You- you have your dream to think about and I- I can't be in the way of that. That'd be selfish and I- I don't want to be the reason why you're dreams don't come true so-" _

"_Naruto, I love you, really I do but sometimes it just amazes even me how dense and just plain stupid you can be." Sasuke cut off whatever Naruto was going to say in a Sasuke-like fashion and Naruto bristled at the insult, "You jerk! Here I am telling you something important and there you are insulting me! What the hell is yo- wait, hey!" Naruto yelped as Sasuke grabbed him by the arm roughly and brought him against his chest._

"_Listen to me Naruto. I don't care about restoring my clan-"_

"_Don't lie to me! It was your dream!"_

"_Well not anymore. I don't care about restoring my clan, dobe. Frankly, I don't want kids-" Naruto flinched at the words, knowing that Sasuke, at least some part of him wanted children and also because he himself wanted children but Sasuke continued, "- I'm good with it just being you and me, alright? Now whoever got you thinking those inane thoughts, tell me so I can shove their faces into the ground and make them eat dirt."_

_Naruto stared at Sasuke with an unreadable expression before saying, "You want kids. I know you do. You told me so."_

"_I told you I liked having a large family, not that I wanted to create it. Naruto, let it go alright? It's my choice and I choose you. Besides," Sasuke smirked smugly, "you're the only one I'll ever take to my bed."_

_Naruto clicked his tongue against his teeth in an impatient and annoyed manner._

"_You __**fucking**__-"_

"_Care to join me?" Sasuke noted with some satisfaction and amusement that Naruto could still imitate a tomato pretty well. _

A cold hand brushed against his side and he shivered, "Sa'ke, stop it. Your hands are cold…" Naruto mumbled as he tried to scoot away from Sasuke. He was tired, Sasuke had so much stamina one would think he was the one with the ancient Kyuubi in him and not the other way around.

He heard soft chuckling and the cold hands found his body again, this time on his thighs. He moaned as those oh so wonderful hands massaged his thighs, "Sasuke! Lemme alone," he pleaded but not sounding the least bit convincing.

"Alright. If that's what you truly want…" Sasuke whispered against his neck as his hand drew patterns on Naruto's thigh. Sasuke's warm breath made him shiver as it brushed against his sensitive skin. He groaned, "Teme…" he mumbled as Sasuke attached himself to his neck and sucked.

Snicker, "Dobe…"

"Don'cha have something better to do, at wha'ever time it is?" Naruto groaned as he buried himself deeper into the blankets. It was so cold.

"Fine," Sasuke mumbled against his skin before he reluctantly pulled away. Naruto heard the shower running and with a relieved sigh, he fell back to sleep.

He awoke cursing the light that dared disturb his sleep. It took him a bit to realize it was the sun shinning through their window and that if it was shinning so brightly, it was way past eight in the morning. He shifted, his body sluggish that morning, and glanced towards the clock, the red numbers reading that it was already eleven. He cursed as he shot out of bed or at least tried to for his stomach launched uncomfortably and his head spin. He laid back down and let out a soft whimper. _'What the-' _it was then that it hit him.

The Seal.

He brought his hand towards his stomach bewildered and at the same time fascinated.

**-If an offspring is conceived, the carrier will be able to sense a small "sphere" of chakra at his lower abdomen not unlike his but a slight mix of the sire's chakra and his. The morning after conceiving nausea, dizziness, fatigue, lack of appetite- **

Just as it said in the scroll, he did sense the mixture of chakra, of his and Sasuke's chakra. He closed his eyes as a small smile tugged his lips.

He laid there for what felt like an eternity before he decided to shower and at last prepare breakfast. He could feel Sasuke's downstairs near the kitchen but knew from past experience he was not in the kitchen but in his study, most likely going over some rubbish or another.

At the thought of Sasuke, his excitement dimmed and a worried frown tarnished his countenance. He shook his head as the water hit his body, drops of water flying around at the movement. No, he should not think of Sasuke's reaction to the news, not now at least. He smiled as his hand rested once again at his stomach, joy overflowing until he thought he would explode.

He finished his shower quickly enough, dressed in plain clothes and walked downstairs to start breakfast. Seeing that it was almost noon anyway, he decided to make lunch. He took out the recently purchased meat from the refrigerator and began preparing it. He chopped it into even pieces before seasoning it. He washed his hands, having forgotten to take the pans out. He finished preparing the meat, the rice and the vegetable before cooking it in their respectable pans all the while humming a pleasant tone.

When all was finished, he took out the plates and bowls and served the food. The water he had put on the stove for tea was boiling with the herbs mixed in a while ago. He poured the tea into a cup for Sasuke and then poured some soda for himself.

"Oi! Teme! Get out of there and come eat your food before I do!" the words vibrated in the old manor like one wouldn't believe, Naruto swearing he left the house shake a bit but shrugging it off.

Sasuke stepped out of the study with a scowl, "Must you do that?" Naruto grinned, "Well how else was I suppose to get you out of there?"

"Knocking on the door maybe."

Naruto simply stared at him. Sasuke sighed all the while looking up at the ceiling as if asking for patients.

"Oh stop being such an ingrate, I made you food."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow but sat down, "Ingrate? Skimming through the dictionary again?"

"Shut up! That was one time, one! And I wouldn't have to if you didn't try to show off all the time!" Naruto glared, "Now eat! You haven't eaten breakfast."

Sasuke did as he was told having no real objection about eating Naruto's cooking. They ate in silence as they usually did but Sasuke could tell Naruto was keeping something from him and that something was barely being kept behind those…luscious lips. Sasuke smirked mentally, one way or another, those lips were going to open.

"Ne, Sasuke what do you think of children?" Naruto said slowly as if afraid of the words.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "Not this again. I told you, I don't want kids so stop worrying about it. You're not killing my dreams or whatever." Sasuke smiled slightly, "I just want you and I have you so I'm happy."

Naruto smiled almost sadly, "Ok…"

Sasuke stared at him in slight confusion before standing up. He walked towards Naruto and his hands grabbed Naruto by the elbow before pulling the blond towards him, "I love you," he whispered as he placed a gentle kiss on Naruto's lips.

"I love you too," Naruto whispered, their lips almost touching they were so close. He looked away from Sasuke's lips and up towards his eyes, "So much that I'd do anything for you," he said with so much conviction that Sasuke was taken back slightly but he recovered soon enough and kissed him once more. "And I'd die without you," Sasuke said once he pulled away.

He looked into those cerulean eyes and almost lost himself in them. He pulled back or else he would not be able to stop and let go Naruto.

"I have some papers Hokage-sama wishes me to see, Uchiha documents," he mumbled and even to him it sounded lame. He turned and walked towards the study. Whatever Naruto was keeping from him was eating at Naruto, he could see it. He frowned. Whatever it was, he hoped it was nothing that could damage their relationship.

Naruto breathed out in a rush and let out a small, almost nonexistent sob as his body shook. Damn it! He looked down at the table where Sasuke's plate and bowl were, as always empty. He finished eating his food not truly hungry but unlike before he didn't even want to eat.

He brought the plates towards the sink and started cleaning the dishes but stopped, a plate in hand and the water running.

He frowned at the dish, placed it back down, and washed his hands before shutting off the water. He dried his hands quickly on his pants as he walked, almost running, to Sasuke's study.

He opened the door hesitantly before walking in, "Sasuke, can we talk?"

Sasuke looked up from the scroll he was reading and glanced towards Naruto, "What's wrong?"

"Well…umm…while you were…during your mission I- I mean I-" he cleared his throat and he fidgeted under Sasuke's gaze.

"Sasuke!" he almost whined, "You're making me nervous, stop looking at me like that!" He said as he averted his gaze to a spot on the rug, frowning.

"What did you do Naruto?" Sasuke asked, his eyes narrowed in too many emotions for Naruto to figure out. He was annoyed, he was worried, he was scared…what did Naruto have to say to him that had him so…scared?

He wouldn't have- no…Naruto would never-

"I asked Tsunade to do a certain seal…on me." Naruto said quickly almost as if he was afraid of his own words.

Sasuke blinked in surprise. That was not what he expected. "Oh, really? That doesn't sound too bad- wait…what seal?"

Naruto seemed to fidget even more, his gaze still on the floor.

"What seal Naruto?" No response.

"Damn it Naruto!" Sasuke yelled and Naruto jumped in surprise, "What fucking seal did you have that hag put on you!"

"I- Mareo's seal." He whispered and Sasuke almost missed it. Almost.

Sasuke rose and walked around the desk and towards Naruto, "Which seal?" he asked incredulously.

"Mareo's seal." He mumbled once again, clinging as Sasuke's angry voice reached him. "What the fuck were you _**thinking**_? Were you even thinking? This damn seal could kill you!"

"But Sasuke-" Naruto tried to explain but Sasuke didn't let him.

"Shut up! Shut up! Don't you care at all? Why the fucking hell would you do this!"

"For you! Because I do not fucking believe you don't children Sasuke, I just don't and I did it for me too! I want kids!"

"Well then you should have gone out and fucked some whore!" Sasuke screamed and Naruto flinched, "You don't mean that-"

"Well, are you?" he asked calmly but Naruto was not fooled, Sasuke was anything but calm at the moment.

"…Yes." He answered softly. Sasuke seemed to have some type of inner battle with himself that lasted for a long while, the silence almost biting at Naruto, before he spoke again with a brisk and impersonal voice, "Get rid of it."

Naruto felt his throat constricted in complete shock. "Wh-what?" he chocked out.

"You heard me. The seal is permanent after about a month. It's only been what two days? Get rid of it."

Naruto stared at Sasuke with disbelief, "What the fuck! Sasuke, this is our child you're talking about! Your child!" he screamed in anger

"No child of _**mine**_ is going to take you away from me!" Sasuke screamed almost brokenly and Naruto, for a second considered doing as he asked simply so he could rid Sasuke of that broken look but the thought was kicked out before it could truly sink in.

"No! Do you hear me, Sasuke? I'm not getting rid of it! It's our child, my child and yours! I don't care if you don't want it but I do and it's going to be born even if I die giving it life, do you hear me you bastard!"

In quick strides Sasuke was right in front of Naruto, his hands grasping Naruto's arms, "You can't do this!" He hissed, "I don't care about the baby as long as I have you, don't you understand! I don't want to lose you because of that-"

"It's not a "that" or an "it"! It's our child, Sasuke and don't you dare tell me you don't want one because I know you do! I know you!"

"Yes, Naruto! I do want a fucking child but not at personal risk to you! Fuck, can't you understand? I love you and I don't want to lose you. I don't want my child to be the reason why you die! I want you to get ri-"

Naruto pulled away from Sasuke and glared but tears had already started to collect and Sasuke flinched at the sight, "You have a choice to make Sasuke, either you accept this child or you don't. But I am not getting rid of **our** child. Goodbye."

"Naru-" The door slammed, cutting whatever Sasuke was going to say. Sasuke flinched at the banging sound and with an frustrated roar he grabbed the lamp closest to him and through it against the wall, the glass and light bulb shattering.

Ten minutes later, the study was a complete and utter miss. The desk was flipped over, the books on the floor scattered about, all the lamps were broken, scrolls half open, some twisted and bent laid everywhere and the walls were dented noticeably.

Sasuke sat leaning against the side wall, his body shaking. He closed his eyes tightly as if to block away what just occurred.

"Naruto…I don't want to lose you…"

* * *

Naruto stood at the entrance of the familiar house, his body shivering. He never was very smart, especially when he was suffering from emotional turmoil, because otherwise he would have taken a coat with him for the autumn weather.

He knocked on the door. His head hurt, his eyes stun and cheeks felt swollen; all because he had just spent the hour crying. He knocked on the door again, this time harder, the cold really getting to him.

He was surprised, although he shouldn't have, to see it was Kakashi who opened the door, his appearance a bit ruffled. Naruto blushed, imagining what the perverted sensei had been previously doing to his Iruka-sensei.

"Naruto?" Kakashi said in surprised, "What are you doing here? Without a coat no less." He opened the door wider as an invitation and Naruto took it, entering the warm house with a cold shudder. He heard the door close behind him and Iruka entered the small living room, he too surprised to see Naruto.

"Naruto, what are you doing here?"

"Ne, Iruka-sensei, can I stay here with you, just for a little while, please?" Naruto whispered as he hugged himself as if to protect himself from the cold and from his own wretched emotions.

"What?" Iruka blinked in surprise before his eyes narrowed in suspicion, "Did Sasuke do something-"

"No, I just…we had a fight, it's really my fault me being stupid again and…I-I just don't want to be at that house right now, so can I please stay here?"

A hand landed on his shoulder in a gesture of comfort. He looked up at Kakashi sensei who, Naruto just realized, did not have his usual mask on. The older man smiled reassuringly.

"You can stay here for as long as you want, Naruto, you know you're always welcomed here." Iruka said as he walked closer towards them and Naruto walked the rest, his smaller frame embraced by the man he thought as a father.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Iruka said not moving from the embrace even when Kakashi sauntered towards them.

Naruto stiffened before saying so low that they had troubled hearing him, "I had baa-chan perform Mareo's seal on me. I told Sasuke and he freaked out, we fought, he wanted me to get rid of the- our child and I told him no."

Iruka jerked slightly as he pulled away from the embrace, holding Naruto at slight distance so as to look Naruto in the face. He shared a quick surprised look with Kakashi before he fixed his gaze on Naruto, "Naruto why-"

"Iruka-sensei, am I being selfish in wanting this child? Sasuke doesn't want it, he says he doesn't want to lose me and all that but I- I just want this child so much…am I being selfish?"

Iruka looked up at Kakashi as if asking for help, receiving a perplexed expression in return. He frowned, "I think you want this child more than anything Naruto-"

"No, I want Sasuke more but I really, really want this child! I want this child so much, Iruka-sensei!"

Iruka nodded patiently, "Alright, I get it but Naruto, I think Sasuke just needs time to think and clear his head. You dropped a large bomb on him Naruto, he needs time is all. He'll come around."

"But what if he still wants me to get rid of…"

"Then you'll have to make a decision," Iruka said soothingly, "But don't worry about it at the moment Naruto. I'll go make the guest room so you can rest and get a bit more warmed up."

Naruto nodded stiffly, his eyes a bit watery but not like before. Iruka gave a reassuring smile before he left towards, making a turn left and down the hall.

Naruto heard a throat clearing and he looked up at Kakashi who was staring at him with a slight curious expression.

"Kakashi-sensei?"

"Hmm…" he hummed slightly before giving an easy grin, "Naruto, I think Sasuke will want this child just as much as you do, just give him time, ne?"

Naruto titled his head slightly before nodding, "Alright, if you say so, sensei."

"Good boy. I know Sasuke-"

"-But so do I-"

"-And I'm quite certain he'll do the right thing," Kakashi finished as if Naruto had not interrupted.

"Naruto, the room's ready," Iruka said, walking back into the living room. Naruto grinned, although the mirth did not reach his eyes something that both men noticed and frowned on.

"Thanks, Iruka-sensei. I'm going to lie down now, I'm so tired…"

They waited until Naruto was in the room, the slight echoing of the door closing their sign. Iruka turned towards Kakashi with an almost brokenhearted expression, "Kakashi…" Iruka mumbled so low that it was barely considered above a rumble.

Kakashi walked towards him, his strong arms wrapping around the brunette who buried his face into the firm chest.

"What if he-"

"-Naruto most certainly knew the risks."

"I don't think he'll get rid of it, even if Sasuke tells him to."

"I doubt he will too."

Iruka looked up, his usual warm eyes were cold with anger, "How could she-" he hissed but stopped abruptly, his lips pursing into a tight line. He huffed angrily before attempting to remove himself from the comforting embrace but Kakashi did not let him go.

"Kakashi, let go!"

"You need to calm down."

"How can you tell me to calm down? Naruto is-"

"-Pregnant, tired and depressed. Yes, I know." Kakashi said with a certain sarcastic drawl that had Iruka feeling like a small child.

"What do we-"

"Iruka, it'll work out. Sasuke, I give him a day, two days at most before he's here asking Naruto to forgive him. Naruto will snap out of it and I have no doubt he'll survive this." Kakashi said as his hands traveled to Iruka's hips.

"How are you so sure?" Iruka mumbled as he leaned closer towards the warm body of the other shinobi.

"I don't, I'm just trying to be optimistic." Kakashi said lowly, his face buried into Iruka's neck.

Iruka frowned but titled his head so as to give Kakashi more access mechanically, "That's not like you…" he said but his sentence was cut of by a moan as Kakashi found that oh-so-sweet spot on his neck and sucked.

"Hmmm…let's not think about this right now, hm?"

* * *

Sasuke, if anything was not mad but simple confused. Alright, that was a down right lie. He was _**livid**_.

He was seeing red and god help him if he didn't strangle the first person to approach him. It had been two days, two fucking stupid, no sleeping, torturous days since Naruto had left the main house.

He only had one word for the whole situation: **fucked**.

He had barely eaten, he hadn't trained, he had showered only this morning after moping in his- **their** room and during that time he wasn't sure if he hated the whole situation or himself more. He couldn't believe he had screamed at Naruto like he had and said all those stupid things. He had wanted to bang his head against something hard more than once in the past two days.

Now, he found himself, after remembering the Hokage's old statement, in front of her door, ready to just about kill her.

"Come in, Uchiha." If he wasn't so mad, he'd probably be slightly surprised how the woman knew it was him.

He entered, his whole form of movement ringing danger and just plain fury.

"I see he told you."

"You! Damn it of all the stupidest things-"

"Shut it, Uchiha. As if you're not secretly glad he begged me to perform the seal. And yes, I said _beg_. The boy that's just about as proud as any Uchiha or Hyuuga came into my office begging for my help. Do you know what that did to me? It nearly broke my heart to see him like that, especially for the likes of you," she spat out the last part as if it was poison and she glared, "But what could I do? I finally gave in and here we are."

Sasuke didn't know if he could be truly angry at her but that didn't mean he couldn't still glare at her, and glare he did.

She sighed tiredly, her eyes taking in Sasuke fully; the bags under his eyes, his muddled appearance, his oily looking hair and his slight sickly complexion. He looked awful but still handsome she mused rather cynically. She sighed again, "Look Uchiha, what's done, is done. He's, I'm guessing, is with child and I have no doubt he is thinking of keeping it, with or without your approval. So your choices are you either get over yourself and just support him and be there for him and for your child or you can be as stubborn as ever and risk loosing Naruto."

"Naruto wouldn't-"

"Leave you? You're right, he most likely won't," she said with dull amusement, "He loves you and all that shit but really now, how do you expect your relationship to be? He'll most likely let you fuck him whenever you wish but is that what you want? To have him become some whore? Nice Uchiha, very nice," her last comment was said with such sarcasm that Sasuke could almost feel it.

His glare became more heated, "Of course not! Damn it! Why couldn't you just…" he trailed off, not knowing exactly what to say. He knew Naruto and knew just how stubborn the boy was. A fucking boulder flying wouldn't make him move if he had decided previously to stay in that spot.

He sighed and closed his eyes briefly, "So then what should I do, hm? Let him die because of this, this-"

"Child?" Tsunade piped in with a nonchalant expression, "He has more than 50 percent chance of living, Uchiha and it seems that's good enough for him. You wish to stay with him, right?"

"Of course."

"Then stay with him. Simple as that, Uchiha. Simple as that." she smiled thinly.

* * *

Iruka was worried.

About Naruto.

The boy was eating but just enough for the tyke growing inside of him. A rather peculiar feature of the seal was how it took the nutrients given to the body and first gave the baby what it needed and then the rest was left for the carrier. Iruka knew this (he was a teacher, he was recommended to know as many seals as possible after all) and so did Naruto.

He had eaten, within the two days only enough to fed his growing "bundle of joy" but he himself was left feeling hungry. He ignored it.

He had not showered nor had he left the guest room. Iruka knew that if by that night the Uchiha was not knocking on their door, he would personally drag the stubborn boy by the ears to Naruto.

There was a knock on the door and Kakashi threw his worried and slightly irritated lover a look that clearly read, 'I told you so' before he went to open the door.

It was Sasuke.

"Nice timing," Kakashi said with a disapproving look and a sarcastic drawl. Sasuke simply scowled at his teacher as he passed him and entered the living room where Iruka sat, almost fidgeting.

"Where is he?" Sasuke asked without an ounce of emotion and this worried Iruka but nonetheless he pointed towards the hallway with an irritated expression and spoke acerbically, "He's in the guestroom. Try not to upset him."

Sasuke raised in eyebrow in slight surprise at Iruka's words but brushed it off as the man being annoyed with him and overprotective of Naruto.

He walked towards the guestroom and knocked.

"I'm not hungry, Iruka-sensei," was his only reply. He frowned, the voice sounded tired and the words came out sluggish.

He opened the door and stepped inside the nicely kept room. Naruto lay on the bed partly covered by the quilt. He shifted, hearing the door open and turned towards the door, very well shocked to see Sasuke instead of Iruka there.

"Sa'ke," he mumbled with his nice blue eyes widening slightly. Sasuke despite himself smiled a small smile yet he felt something, a tug at his heartstring as he noticed Naruto's appearance.

"Naruto," he said lowly, "We need to talk."

Naruto flinched at the words as if he had been struck down but he nodded anyway, the hopeful glint that had entered his eyes at seeing Sasuke left only to be replaced by a glint of determination.

"Yeah, we do, don't we?"

* * *

Alright! What will Sasuke choose? Hmmm

Next Chapter: Sasuke's decision, some of the old gang, and Itachi!

And come on guys! If you have the damn time to put me on your alert and favorite list, you have enough time to leave a simple or complex review!


	4. IV The Same Gazes

-**A Clan's Pride** -

**Summary:** "Naruto! I'm _**serious**_! This is dangerous, it could and most likely will kill you!" When you love someone, you often forget yourself and remember them.

**Warnings:** Yaoi; Mpreg; Angst; Language; Sexual Situations;

**Disclaimer:** Let's keep it short and swift: don't own it.

**Pairing:** SasuNaru, one-sided ItaNaru _other minor Yaoi, Het pairings_

**Beta/Helper:** **UNBETAED

* * *

**

**IV. The Same Gazes**

The silence was harsh and heavy and Naruto shifted nervously, never breaking eye contact with Sasuke. Naruto had decided that he would let Sasuke start off the conversation; he was the one that came all this way to talk to him. The only problem with that plan was that his low patience and short attention span made waiting difficult.

"Naruto, if I asked you to get rid of it- the baby, would you?" Sasuke asked calmly, giving nothing away. He pushed away the guilt that seemed to overwhelm him at the sight of Naruto; his hair limp and greasy, his complexion waxy, bags under his eyes…

Naruto shifted, his posture straightening as he looked Sasuke in the eyes, "I know I said I would do anything for you Sasuke…anything, but I'm not sure if I could do _**this**_ for you."

Sasuke swallowed the lump that seemed to have gotten stuck in his throat before he walked towards the bed cautiously looking for any signs of discomfort on Naruto's part. He reached the bed with no such signs and he sat on the mattress not even an arm length away from the blonde. "Do you realize that you could die, Naruto? That you could-" Sasuke caressed Naruto's cheek gently as if afraid of Naruto disappearing with the slightly touch, "That you could leave me?"

Naruto smiled thinly but he, unlike many times before, did not lean into the caress. "I know. I get it, okay? I can die, I can stop breathing, there might be complications, yes, yes! But I want this so much that I just don't really care! Do you have that little trust in me? I'm not weak, teme."

"I know you're not but-"

"If I can survive a hole through my chest, teme, I can survive this." Naruto said firmly, his eyes staring into Sasuke cool obsidian eyes. He saw Sasuke flinch at the jab and although he felt guilty, he pushed it aside.

"I'm not fucking weak, I'm going to be the next Hokage after all and, shit, if something like this kills me then I guess I wouldn't make that great of a Hokage anyway! Besides…I really want a child Sasuke, **your** child, not some whore's," he said remembering Sasuke's acerbic words and it stung even though Naruto knew they were spoken out of anger, they still stung.

Sasuke inwardly flinched as he remembered those familiar words coming out of his mouth. He pulled Naruto against his chest and held him there, not knowing what to say at all.

"Sa'ke?" Naruto mumbled sounding almost childlike, "If- if you truly want me to…I-I'll get rid of the child…" the words were like a physical blow to the blonde and he shrank into the embrace, "but please don't make me. I'd never forgive myself."

Sasuke vaguely wondered if Naruto knew the type of guilt trip he was giving and if this was some sort of plan of his to get him to agree but that thought was thrown out an ear the second it was formed. He loved Naruto, really he did but Naruto was not the brightest crayon in the box and he tended to let his emotions decide his words and actions.

But damn, adding the whole "I'd never forgive myself" was a real genius move.

"Sa'ke?"

"You know I don't like it when you call me that…" he mumbled as he leaned his cheek on top of Naruto's head. He heard a low string of giggles and smiled a small smile.

"Like I care…"

"Obviously."

Then silence fell once more, the air getting thicker and heavier with each passing second until Naruto pulled away and stared at Sasuke with blank eyes, "Well Sasuke-teme?"

Sasuke looked at him, his lips parted as if about ready to speak before they were drawn together, his lips pursed until they became a harsh thin line.

He closed his eyes and he tried to imagine children, his and Naruto's and tried to imagine what life would be like if only the child survive and then finally, what if neither the child nor Naruto survived? He would be left alone. He was being selfish, he knew it. The only reason, well the larger reason why he was against this whole idea was because he did not want Naruto to die and leave him.

"I don't want you to-" he cleared his throat, wishing that the words would just come out already, "I want you to keep the baby." He looked down at Naruto, waiting for some type of reaction.

At first there was none, Naruto simply stared up at him before he blinked once, twice and three times before a grin so large it threatened to split his face in half formed. He let out a sound that sounded amusingly like a squeal and a growl mixed into one. His arms went flying as they wrapped around Sasuke's neck and with a zealous pull he had the brunette lying practically on top of him. "THANK YOU!" Naruto exclaimed and Sasuke winced at the volume but smiled as he was attacked, kisses brushing against his face and neck.

He chuckled at the antics, pushing the dark words and emotions that tried to rise from his breast and eat him whole and focused on the blonde in his arms, "Dobe…I love you."

The kisses stopped and a whisper brushed against his cheek, "I love you too…" and the lips moved and landed on his lips.

Sasuke pulled away before the chaste kiss could turn too heated.

"But we still need to talk."

"About what?"

"If there are any complications, we will always choose you before the child." Naruto looked about ready to argue or at the very least disagree but Sasuke's eyes narrowed dangerously and Naruto decided against it. He nodded, "Ok…"

"You'll be seeing Tsunade once every week for a checkup."

"Fine."

"You won't be taking any more missions."

"What about my-"

"You can still teach your team as long as it's nothing to stressing but they'll be doing most of their missions with another sensei."

Naruto frowned but nodded. Small sacrifice, small sacrifice…

"And you'll tell me if you feel…bad."

"Sure."

"I'm serious, Naruto. This gets uncomfortable real fast, real soon and I want you to tell me if it becomes almost unbearable."

"I will."

"Promise me."

Naruto sighed, "I promise."

Sasuke nodded pleased, "Thank you."

"Anything else, teme?"

"No…for now anyway," he said with a smirk and Naruto groaned. Suddenly, he dreaded the next coming months.

The Aki-Yuki Festival always fell on the second to last week of autumn in the Konoha Village annually. The festival was to celebrate the close approaching winter and the ending of another year. It celebrated the last leaf that would fall from the trees and the first snow to touch the ground. It celebrated that although cold and infertile lands would soon be upon them, life would grow soon enough, life would start anew.

Maybe because it celebrated change was why Naruto loved it so much.

"Sasuke-teme! Where is that winter kimono? You know, the one with orange and blue one?" Naruto yelled.

One good thing -in some cases one bad thing- about the Uchiha house was how well sounds echoed he mused as he heard footsteps downstairs. He sighed as he finished looking through a pile of clothes on the closet floor before looking through the clothes hanging neatly above the messy pile. He vaguely wondered what that pile of clothes was doing on the ground.

One terrible thing about the festival was its time. It is during late afternoon ending some time during midnight. At times one felt like their fingers were going to fall off. Thank God it wasn't during winter or there really would be fingers on the sidewalks.

Sasuke entered the room with that same scowl that Naruto worried would permanently stay on his face if he wasn't careful. "I heard you all the way downstairs, dobe."

Naruto glanced over his shoulder before continuing his search through their closet, "That's kinda the point, bastard." He could feel Sasuke's glare heating up the back of his head.

"You couldn't just go downstairs and ask?"

"…Then I'd have to come back upstairs to finish searching! That would be stupid!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes to the heavens all the while asking for patience. He vaguely wondered how he was going to deal with an emotionally insane Naruto once he entered that certain stage in the pregnancy if he couldn't deal with the normal Naruto.

"Here," Sasuke said as he put a kimono on their bed. Naruto turned to look at it and frowned slightly, "That's not it. It's supposed to be orange and blue. You know, it's completely orange except for the swirl symbol at the back and the blue cuffs and collar!"

"I know which one you mean but I want you to wear this one," Sasuke said stiffly.

"But Sasuke!" Naruto whined as he walked towards the bed to inspect the kimono, "I like my orange and blue one!"

"Too bad! It's in the laundry hamper downstairs. It's dirty."

Naruto brows frowned. He didn't remember putting that there and he vaguely remembered washing it about a month ago before putting it…somewhere in the house.

"Stop being so stubborn and just wear this one, we're late as it is so hurry up." Naruto glared at his retrieving figure.

Bastard.

Just to annoy him, Naruto decided, I'm going to take my sweet ass time. That'll teach him to get ready three hours in advance. He huffed as he walked into the bathroom and decided to take another shower.

It never hurt to be clean.

* * *

Sasuke heard the shower running and wanted to hit his head against his head. He settled for clicking his teeth in an impatient fashion before going over the document involving Uchiha land on the other side of the village. It seemed like someone wanted to rent it again…hmm.

His mind went from renting land to something more personal.

He was going to be a father.

Well technically if all went well he'd be a father. He couldn't help it, a small goofy grin tugged his lips.

The day he had retrieved Naruto from Iruka-sensei's house was but a week ago and with slight surprise he noticed this was the first time he actually thought about it. As in truly thought about it.

There was a little tiny being growing inside Naruto. He felt his chest become warm and it traveled down to the bit of his stomach where the warmth seemed to coil and knot but not comfortably.

They hadn't talked about it nor had they told anyone else really. He doubted either Iruka or Kakashi went blabbing to someone else although now that he thought about it, he wasn't so sure about Kakashi.

He didn't know how to approach Naruto about the subject and he had a suspicious feeling that Naruto was still wary of reminding him about the seal for fear of him changing his mind.

They were both being cowards about it.

He sighed as he sat the paper down and leaned back against the chair. They needed to talk about this. They needed to inform the Council soon that the possibility of Uchiha children in the near future was very possible at the moment. They needed to get the house ready, **they** needed to get ready. And suddenly, he was scared. It wrapped its fingers around his heart and squeezed.

The only father figure he truly ever had had been his biological father and Sasuke although loved his father and had always wished to please him, did not believe he was a _good_ father. He was too cold and harsh. Too distant.

He wanted to love his children, after all they would be a part of Naruto. He wanted to give them anything and everything they wanted, Uchiha's only deserved the best. Yet at the same time he wanted to raise them to be respectful and respected by people, he wanted them to be powerful. He did not want to be known as the father that sired snobs and weaklings. Would he be able to do that? Or would he turn out like his father? Always comparing one son to another, harsh and demanding. He hoped not.

"Sasuke?" he blinked, surprised. There in front of him stood Naruto. He had not heard his lover enter nor had he notice him standing there in front of him even though he had been staring practically at him.

"You ok?" Naruto asked as he walked behind the desk and towards Sasuke. He was pulled forward, landing on a comfortable lap.

"I'm fine. Just thinking."

"About what?" asked Naruto although by how his eyes shifted from place to place, Sasuke assumed he knew.

"About the baby."

There was pregnant silence before in a forced casual voice Naruto asked, "You're not regretting keeping-"

"No," Sasuke interrupted, "I'm not. I'm just thinking. We have been avoiding the subject and it needs to stop." The arms wrapped around Naruto's waist seemed to tighten for a second before they loosened. "We have to tell everyone sooner or later, I prefer sooner. Also, the Council needs to know."

Naruto nodded mutely as he buried his face into Sasuke's chest. "We need to get this house prepared too; it's been a long while since a baby lived here."

"Yeah…"

Naruto pulled away and looked Sasuke in the eyes, "You know, I think you'll make a good dad."

"You'll make a good mommy, a bit dumb but a good one nonetheless," Sasuke replied with a vicious smirk. He heard a sound similar to a growl before the punch landed against his cheek.

"Where do you get off calling me mommy, you fucking bastard!" Naruto roared, his eyes narrowing, "And dumb! I'm not dumb!"

Sasuke chuckled, "I hope you won't be using that kind of language around the child and besides, you're the one carrying it, so technically you're the mommy. Mommy Naru, I like the sound of that." His hand moved from Naruto's hip towards his stomach where it rested comfortably, rubbing his palm in a smoothing manner. Naruto brought his hand and rested it upon Sasuke's and his eyes seemed to glow as his lips were tugged into a gorgeous smile, "I love you."

"Hmm…I love you too," Sasuke mumbled as he attached himself to Naruto's neck. The hand on his hip traveled down until it rested on one clothed thigh were it proceeded to massage just a bit too _close_ to be considered innocent ministration.

"We're not doing it in your study." Naruto said dryly and the hand stopped its caress. "We have a festival to go to and you were bitching about us being late so come on." Naruto stood up and walked towards the door.

Sasuke bit back a groan.

* * *

"Sensei!" a voice called out through the crowd and Sasuke winced. Damn, not even Naruto was that loud. They turned and it was Nao with his father, Minori Tenshi.

Naruto smiled as they stood before them, "Hey Nao, Minori-san."

Tenshi smiled a pleasant smile that reached his amber eyes, "Naruto-san, Sasuke-san, how are you?" His voice was even and soft, nothing like Nao's loud voice.

"Fine," Naruto answered for both of them while Sasuke merely nodded politely in greeting.

"I heard you weren't feeling well, Minori-san." Naruto said with a slight frown. Tenshi was a tall and lanky man whose long black hair reached past his waist but was usually pulled back into a topknot. His amber eyes were the same shade as Nao's but were not as large or "adorable". Tenshi always reminded Naruto of Hayate, with his sickly pale skin and the dark bags under his eyes.

Tenshi smiled thinly, "I am fine, just a little cough." Naruto doubted that, Tenshi was a good shinobi but an unhealthy one. Sasuke had once had a mission with Tenshi (he was a rather skilled ANBU) and had witnessed the Kekkei Genkai of the Minori Clan.

"Satoshi! Over here!" Nao screamed and Sasuke wondered how a boy so damn small could have such powerful lungs, he also wondered when suddenly this became a reunion of Naruto's genin team. He mentally rolled his eyes.

Satoshi heard his name being called (who didn't?) and with a small grunt walked towards Nao closely followed by his parents.

Sasuke did not find it funny when Naruto joked about having a mini Sasuke in his genin team. But even he had to admit that Satoshi was similar to him.

His parents nodded politely towards Tenshi and the lovers. Takenn Akio glanced down at Nao before those icy blue eyes gazed at Tenshi almost critically, "Your boy is too loud, Tenshi."

Tenshi chuckled warmly, ignoring the harsh tone, "Yes he is. But I would not have him any other way. How are you by the way Akio and you Chiyo? And you Satoshi, I hope you are doing well."

"Well you should know Tenshi, Satoshi seems to spend more time at your home than at his own," Akio replied cuttingly receiving a jab and a warning glare from his wife, Chiyo.

Satoshi rolled his eyes while Nao looked rather disgruntled. Tenshi laughed again and Naruto was impressed. He personally would have punched the guy by now.

"He does not spend that much time at my home. He usually goes off with Nao to do what most shinobi at their age do; train."

Satoshi grabbed Nao by the arm, "Come on Nao, I'll bye you food."

Nao glanced up at his father as if asking for permission and receiving a nod, he let Satoshi pull him towards who-knows-where.

Tenshi smiled. "Do you wish company, my dears?" he asked the two Takenns. Chiyo smiled after sending her husband another warning glare, "Yes, why don't you accompany us? We can catch up on."

They turned back towards Naruto and Sasuke who had been quiet during their little exchange of words and said their goodbyes. Naruto grinned with a small wave while Sasuke merely nodded curtly once more.

"Batty, the whole lot of them," Sasuke mumbled once they were gone and out of sight. Naruto snickered, "Sasuke! That's mean."

"It's true. You have weird kids and their whole family is just a bit odd."

"We were like that when we were kids…except the whole…you know…"

"Like they're together and banging each other?"

"Sasuke!" Naruto exclaimed, "They're twelve!"

"Hm," Sasuke mumbled and shrugged. Naruto rolled his eyes, turning his attention to his surrounding; the large amount of people, the large stands located right and left, the games, the joyful performers, the food. His eyes landed on a stand where a game involving fishing and prizes was. He saw three familiar silhouettes and grinned. "Sasuke! Come on!" he said as he tugged Sasuke towards the stand by the wrist.

"Neji! Shikamaru, Kiba!" The three shinobi turned at the call of their name.

Sasuke sighed; well there went any chance of getting Naruto alone…damn. He gave Naruto the money needed to play the stupid game (in his opinion) and watched from the sidelines along with Neji as the other three friends played the game, Shikamaru seemingly not as interested as Naruto and Kiba.

* * *

When he first noticed the dark green kimono, the first thought was that it suited Naruto. Neji could admit when someone looked nice in something and the professionally made kimono fit Naruto nicely. It seemed simple enough but it had too much detail on the collar and the sleeves to be simple. Petals impressed into the kimono seemed to shift with every movement Naruto made and the Uchiha symbol located at the small of his back was a nice touch.

Possessive.

He glanced towards the Uchiha with a raised eyebrow in question and a pointed jerk towards Naruto's back. It was well known that a person only wore a specific clan symbol only if they belonged to said clan or would very soon marry into the clan and seeing as Naruto was no Uchiha…

He received a raised eyebrow in return and a smirk. He left it at that. He may not see the Uchiha as a friend and he would never forgive the Uchiha for leaving Naruto when they were still young but he knew they loved each other and it was best if they stayed together.

* * *

Kimo did not expect to see them here, to see **him** here. He did not truly like the boy, no it was more of a fascination, a compulsive obsession that had grabbed him and could not be shaken. He was never attracted to men or boys or males in general. He liked women; he liked their curves and their long hair and their large eyes.

But this boy, he was special and not because of the Kyuubi inside of him. He was special without it. He was fascinated by those cerulean eyes, those sun-kissed tresses and a lean body that although not curved as a woman was still desirable.

He had never spoken to the boy. No, he had simply watched from afar, watched him with the Uchiha boy. The day they arrived from their mission was the third time he was in the boy's company and the desire for him that had shriveled to almost indifference became alive and now burned his breast with lust and desire. But Kimo did not know exactly what he desired or lusted after.

He noticed the boy become tense and look over his shoulder, glancing from place to place before shrugging and returning his attention to his friends. The Uchiha walked next to him, his arm swung casually yet possessively around the blonde's waist. As if the Uchiha symbol on his back wasn't enough.

He sneered.

* * *

Naruto glanced once again over his shoulder. He kept feeling eyes on him. At first, it was there and then it would disappear as if someone was just glancing at him every now and then but now, it was just there and it was practically drilling a hole at his back.

"Dobe? You alright?" Sasuke asked after catching Naruto looking over his shoulder for the third time.

"Yeah…I'm fine." Naruto said and grinned.

"-So I told Shino that _no_ I was not-"

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"-so troublesome-"

"If you're sure…"

"I'm-" Naruto stopped abruptly as he noticed a silhouette standing in the dull light between two stands. He could not see him well except that it was indeed a lean male with cold red eyes. They stood out from his pale face and Naruto could not look away from those eyes. He noticed a type of shifting within the eyes, almost as if the pupils were shivering within the red iris. He noticed how his lips opened slightly as if to speak or maybe breathe in air.

A shudder ran through him and he jumped in surprise as he felt a hand rest on his shoulder. He moved his head and gazed into cool obsidian eyes, "Naruto? Are you sure you're alright?" they had stopped walking and his friends were looking at him with different levels of concern.

"Yeah, I just thought-" he shifted so he could face the the silhouette once more but he was gone, "Never mind. I just thought I saw someone I…knew." He turned towards them and grinned although it was a bit force, "Come on! We still got to find the rest of the group!"

Sasuke gave him a certain look that purely read 'We'll talk about this later.'

Naruto just nodded as they followed the rest of the group.

* * *

"He sensed you. He noticed you. He **saw** you."

"I know."

"He saw through your Genjutsu."

"Yes, he did."

"He's gotten more powerful."

"Indeed."

"And he's with your brother," said the gruff voice with amusement.

There was a pause and then finally the same smooth voice as before said, "I expected as much."

Kisame smirked, his sharp teeth showing in the low light, "Really?"

Itachi did not reply, instead he continued to watch the now larger group of shinobi as they sat together, laughing and eating at the buffet.

"There is something odd with his chakra. There is a small amount that isn't really his, a mixture of sort. It's dull…barely there and it's flickering. Shrinking and then growing…"

"Yes, I feel it too," Itachi said his eyes on Naruto. His almost dull eyes seemed to suddenly shine and a small, almost unnoticeable smirk curled his lips.

"Do you know what that is, why his chakra is doing that?"

"I have my own presumptions."

"Care to share?"

"No."

Kisame seemed to frown as he sighed, "Fine, keep your secrets."

Itachi mentally rolled his eyes as he noticed Kisame pouting beside him. He was surrounded by children. His eyes landed once more on Naruto, more precisely on his stomach. Indeed, he was surrounded by children, metaphorically and literally.

* * *

Alright! Chapter 4 is complete! I'm sorry for any mistakes, I proofed it once maybe twice (can't remember) and I'm not too good in proofing my own work. Anyway, I felt this chapter was a bit anticlimactic but that's just me. Anyway, I'm thinking of pairings and I have some in mind but I can't decide really, you guys can give me your opinion and I will take it into consideration.

Pairings:

Neji/Gaara

Neji/Shikamaru

Gaara/Lee

Lee/Sakura

Shikamaru/Ino

Shino/Kiba

Kiba/Hinata

Anyway, just keep in mind I don't want to leave any of the guys by themselves. laughs sorry, I just love them too much! Anyway, give me your opinion guys! Also, I'm wondering if anyone would like to be my beta? My beta at the moment is very busy and I don't wanna bother her!

!


	5. V Planning And Waiting Takes T

-**A Clan's Pride** -

**Summary:** "Naruto! I'm _**serious**_! This is dangerous, it could and most likely will kill you!" When you love someone, you often forget yourself and remember them.

**Warnings:** Yaoi; Mpreg; Angst; Language; Sexual Situations;

**Disclaimer:** Let's keep it short and swift: don't own it.

**Pairing:** SasuNaru, one-sided ItaNaru _other minor Yaoi, Het pairings_

**AN:** Well, with the pairing polls, so far its:

Neji/Gaara: IIIIIIIIIIIII (13)

Neji/Shikamaru: IIIIII (6)

Gaara/Lee: IIIIIIIIIIII (12)

Lee/Sakura: IIIIIIIIIII (11)

Shikamaru/Ino: IIIIIIIIIII (11)

Shino/Kiba: IIIIIIIIIIII (12)

Kiba/Hinata: IIIIIIIIIII (11)

Shikmaru/Temari: I (1)

I'm officially going to put Shino/Kiba as one of the pairings and there will be some hints of this pairing in this chapter. The rest, I'm still not sure. I like Neji/Gaara but then I realize that Neji and Gaara barely speak much less know each other in the anime/manga, actually I'm not qute sure they _do_ speak to each other at all! Neji and Shikamaru on the other hand, do and although they're not "best friends" and all, they still _know_ each other better. I personally don't like Ino that much so I don't wanna put her with Shikamaru but I might just have too. I can deal with Lee/Sakura but at the moment Gaara/Lee is more interesting and is in the lead albeit by one point. So this is where it gets complicated.

Next chapter I'll decide what the rest of the pairings will be, who knows maybe I'll have one person by themselves or with an OC.

**Beta/Helper:** **UNBETAED

* * *

**

**V. Planning And Waiting Takes Time**

"Sasuke, I can walk on my own."

"And have you fall down the fucking stairs?"

"I already told you! I stumbled on a rock in the road!" Naruto said as Sasuke carried him up the stairs. He crossed his arms in front of him all the while sulking.

"Bullshit!" Sasuke glowered as he reached the second floor and headed towards their room, "You did not stumble on a damn rock, you nearly fainted! You're not well."

He slide open the door with his foot and closed it in the same fashion behind him before walking towards the bed where he placed the blonde down.

"Why the hell didn't you say anything, Naruto?"

"Because I stumbled on a rock and you made a big deal out of it! We're missing the rest of the festival!"

"Is that all you care about?" Sasuke said incredulously and Naruto rolled his eyes.

"I'm fine. I bit tired yeah but we've been walking for hours around the village."

"You didn't think there could be something seriously wrong with you? Naruto, people do not faint out of the blue!"

"I wasn't that tired and I didn't faint!"

"Shit Naruto!" Sasuke screamed and Naruto flinched, "You're pregnant! Stop being thickheaded! If you're tired, you need to rest not deny it."

"I'm fine."

"No you aren't! You've been out of it since almost the beginning of the festival. Damn it, if I knew you were going to be lying to me about-"

"I'm not lying! I was fine! I stumbled on a rock damn it!"

"Yeah, and Kakashi isn't fucking Iruka!"

"Sasuke!" Naruto shrieked while covering his ears. Oh, he knew that Kakashi and Iruka were…involved but that didn't mean he wanted to imagine it or hear about it for that matter.

Sasuke snorted in amusement but shook it off, his expression grave a second later, "You promised me you'd tell me if it started to get bad, Naruto. If you're going to ignore your wellbeing then maybe it was a mistake keeping the baby.

"Don't you dare say such a thing!" Naruto yelled, "You said we could keep our child so stop changing your fucking mind!" He tried to sit up but a wave of nausea hit him and his mind blanked for a second. He shrank back into the bed and pillows, "woah…"

"Naruto?" Sasuke whispered worriedly as he kneeled on the ground besides Naruto. Naruto grinned and it almost resembled a grimace, "I'm fine, teme. Really. I just stood up too fast."

"Naruto, why are you lying to me?" Sasuke asked as took Naruto's hand. He kissed the knuckles, his lips cold against the flushed skin.

Naruto stared at him for what felt like years but Sasuke did not move nor did let go of his hand. He stayed there, his eyes fixed upon Naruto.

Naruto battled with himself. He was tired and his head was starting to hurt and he felt like his stomach was doing flip-flops.

He wanted to tell Sasuke about how he had been tired and lightheaded since the first hour of the festival but had not said anything, about the gazes he had felt drilling wholes into his back, how he thought he saw _him_ but then worry started to chew at him. What is Sasuke changed his mind, what if-

"I think I saw Itachi today at the festival," Naruto said softly and Sasuke stared at Naruto with an impassive expression. His grasp on Naruto's hand tightened harshly until Naruto let out a whimper in pain.

Sasuke dropped the hand as if burned. His stood up idly, almost calmly as his gaze moved form Naruto to the opposite wall.

"Sa-"

"Are you sure?"

"No," Naruto mumbled truthfully, "I'm not. But I saw someone; at least I thought I did. He was about the same height and pale and had red eyes, they looked like the Sharingan from where I stood."

"Could you be mistaken?" Sasuke asked calmly as if they were speaking about the weather.

"Yeah, probably but I just got this feeling, it was the same feeling I got the first time I met him."

Sasuke's eyes shifted quickly from the wall to Naruto and back, "You think he has something to do with your sudden weakness?"

"…No. I'm just tired; my body is still getting use to the seal." Naruto shook away the doubtful thoughts that attempted to occupy his mind. No…he had promised to be truthful to Sasuke about the seal and damn it, he was not going back on it.

"Hn."

"Sasuke?"

"Hn?" Sasuke hummed as he continued to look at the wall with a tense interest.

"Can I have a kiss?"

Sasuke gazed down at Naruto with a forced nonchalant expression, "Sure." He leaned down and pressed his lips against Naruto's chastely. Naruto wrapped his arms around Sasuke's neck and pulled him down further but Sasuke pulled away a second later, "Naruto-"

"Please Sa'ke?" Naruto whispered not sure what exactly he was asking of Sasuke but it seemed like the Uchiha did know for he nodded and that chilling indifference melted off his face. Naruto smiled in relief, "I love you…"

Sasuke closed his eyes as he leaned down and hid his face against Naruto's shoulder, "I love you more than I will ever hate him."

Naruto felt his heart break at those words. He did not know what was worse: that Sasuke still desired his vengeance but denied himself such a dream because of him or the fact that deep down Sasuke was still that little boy who witnessed a tragedy and could not or maybe simply chose not to forget.

* * *

Itachi felt something, not necessarily pain but just as unpleasant in his chest. It started when he followed his younger brother and the blonde back towards the Uchiha compound. Memories flashed through his mind and in an uninterested fashion, pushed them to the back of his mind.

He wasn't quite sure if he was surprised or amused at the fact that little Naruto was pregnant. But the amusement seemed to shrivel until it was merely a bitter feeling as he sat on one of the many branches of the sole tree that allowed access into one of the many rooms in the manor. Conveniently, it was the right room.

"-fine. I bit tired yeah but we've been walking for hours around the village."

"You didn't think there could be something seriously wrong with you? Naruto, people do not faint out of the blue!"

"I wasn't that tired and I didn't faint!" Itachi begged to defer, the boy did sway and had lost consciousness for but a moment but nonetheless had fainted.

"Shit Naruto! You're pregnant! Stop being thickheaded! If you're tired, you need to rest not deny it."

He noticed the way the young blonde almost cringed at his young brother's shout yet there was still defiance in him, "I'm fine."

"No you aren't! You've been out of it since almost the beginning of the festival. Damn it, if I knew you were going to be lying to me about-"

"I'm not lying! I was fine! I stumbled on a rock damn it!"

Itachi snorted sardonically, typical; lies, lies and more lies.

"Yeah, and Kakashi isn't fucking Iruka!"

He blinked in surprise. He had not been expecting that little bit of information but that would explain why they-

"Sasuke!" Naruto shrieked while covering his ears.

The train of thought involving the two older men were halted and he let a soft, bark of a laugh escape him at the blonde's reaction.

It seemed his brother found his reaction amusing as well for he let a small snort of amusement leave him before he was once again, cold and grave.

"You promised me you'd tell me if it started to get bad, Naruto. If you're going to ignore your wellbeing then maybe it was a mistake keeping the baby."

"Don't you dare say such a thing!" Naruto yelled, "You said we could keep our child so stop changing your fucking mind!"

He blinked in surprise and it was then that he felt his amusement disappear. He had been certain that it had been his brother's idea, that he had convinced the blonde into carrying children but it seemed like he had mixed up roles. For some reason this did not settle well with him and the bitterness that had begun engulfing him became heaver and fouler.

"Naruto?" he heard his brother whisper as he kneeled besides the blonde.

"I'm fine teme. Really. I just stood up too fast." The boy did not fool his brother nor did he fool him.

"Naruto, why are you lying to me?"

There was silence and Itachi wondered what would be the blonde's response. So far the boy had done nothing but deny and lie so he was quite surprise at the boy's following words:

"I think I saw Itachi today at the festival."

At those words, Itachi was expecting a rather comical if not angry reaction from his little brother and was indeed disappointed and surprised. His brother's only reaction it seemed was the tightening of his hold on his lover. A whimper left the blonde.

He released his hold on the blond almost too quickly to be considerate.

He shifted his gaze to the wall, still perfectly calm.

"Sa-"

"Are you sure?"

"No, I'm not. But I saw someone; at least I thought I did. He was about the same height and pale and had red eyes, they looked like the Sharingan from where I stood."

"Could you be mistaken?" his brother asked.

"Yeah, probably but I just got this feeling, it was the same feeling I got the first time I met him."

His eyes shifted again, from the wall to the figure in the bed to the wall once more, "You think he has something to do with your sudden weakness?"

"…No. I'm just tired; my body is still getting use to the seal."

"Hn."

"Sasuke?"

"Hn?" Sasuke hummed almost indifferently.

"Can I have a kiss?"

He narrowed his red eyes, the chakra already enhancing his eyesight flaring as the sudden movement. A muscle on his face twitched at the plea and the bitterness became even fouler. He was not quite sure why.

"Sure."

He felt his lips twitch into a cold, almost satisfied smirk when his brother leaned down and kissed his lover dispassionately and then pulled away before the blonde could deepen the kiss but the smirk was recoiled and his lips were pursed into a thin, harsh line a moment later.

"Please Sa'ke?" the blonde whispered and he could practically feel his brother's resolve and coldness melt away.

The blonde smiled, "I love you."

Itachi stood and turned from the scene, a destination already in mind and he was gone but not before he heard his little brother's reply, "I love you more than I will ever hate him."

* * *

He reached the top of the Hokage Mountain with barely an inconvenience. The fact that there had been an inconvenience bothered him for that meant he had been careless and was nearly caught by a patrolling ANBU because of such carelessness.

He looked down at the village and neither hatred nor love concurred his heart. He had long ago buried any feelings for this particular village and by no means were they going to resurface.

"So this is where you got to." He did not turn around; he had sensed Kisame long ago.

"So-"

"We cannot abduct the boy at the moment. We must wait."

"What?" Kisame said, his voice laced with surprise, "Why the hell do we have to wait?"

"Leader wants the Kyuubi and I do not want anymore mistakes made. It will be better in the end if we observe just how strong they have gotten and their average lives so there will be no unwanted surprises. Besides, we have a year to complete this mission."

"Yes but-"

"That's enough, Kisame," Itachi said, his tone of voice final, "This mission is too important and I will not have you spoil it because of your lack of patience."

Kisame, not for the first time, wanted to reach out and strangle the insolent boy but reframed and decide to sulk, although not so quietly.

Itachi ignored him, something he tended to do with most people and focused his attention on his brother and his blonde lover.

He was not quite sure what he felt for them be it negative or neutral, for it certainly wasn't positive. All he knew that he would have preferred it had been his little brother's idea to use the seal and not Naruto's. For some reason, bitterness swept him at the idea that the blonde would risk his life solely to fulfill Sasuke's dream.

* * *

Naruto fidgeted on the cold table, waiting not so patiently for Tsunade who it seemed was taking her lovely time in joining him and Sasuke in the examination room. The only good thing about this table, unlike the other table in which the seal was performed, was that it had a head support.

"Stop fidgeting," Sasuke said after awhile, his glare on the magazine in hand. Naruto glanced towards him before rolling his sky-kissed eyes, "Shut it."

"Dobe-"

"Alright…let's see here, Naruto…how long has it been since fertilization…two weeks right?" Tsunade said, interrupting whatever Sasuke was about to say as she entered the medium sized room with an open folder in hand.

"Yep."

"Says here you've been unnaturally tired? Lose of appetite…headaches…dizziness," Tsunade placed the folder down on the counter close to the examination table, her eyes practically glued to the papers.

"Have you been nauseas?"

"Not much. Once or twice."

"When you say unnaturally tired you mean…" Tsunade trailed as she waved her hand in a gesture for Naruto to finish the sentence for her.

"I sometimes can't get out of bed until around noon 'cus I'm to tired or I start doing something like walking around the village and I get tired real quick-"

Tsunade waved her hand as if to dismiss him, "That's normal. You're still getting use to the seal. Give it about a week and you should be feeling more energized."

Naruto turned towards Sasuke and grinned smugly, "I told you so."

Sasuke simply scowled. Tsunade, her attention on the folder glanced towards them, "Take off your shirt. I want to examine the seal."

She closed the folder with a flick of her wrist before walking towards the table. Her hand flowed a bluish light as she summoned her chakra.

"Is this going to-"

"Nah. It's going to tickle more than anything," Tsunade said before Naruto could even finish his sentence.

The Mareo's seal was not visible until the moment Tsunade's glowing hand touched Naruto's skin. The seal seemed to leak from within his skin until it was dark and visible, the seal keeping the Kyuubi locked away lost in the seemingly more complex and large seal that was Mareo's.

It was not really tickling; it was more like a prickling sensation that made Naruto squirm uneasily.

Tsunade scowled at Naruto irritably but said nothing as she continued to concentrate at the task at hand. She was done a minute later.

Sasuke sat next to the table, his eyes glancing from the magazine towards Naruto and Tsunade mused rather amusingly that he quite worried and anxious.

"Well, the seal is working nicely, no irritability or abnormality. The little tyke is growing up rather fast; you should be due in about six more months."

"But I thought pregnancy lasted nine months…" Naruto trailed off as he put on his shirt.

"You're not a woman, dobe." Sasuke said with a rather scornful looked that seemed almost amused. Naruto scoffed at the look and he returned his attention towards Tsunade as he waited for her to explain it, she was after all the famous medic-nin.

"The Uchiha is right. A female pregnancy lasts nine months. Male pregnancy is shorter. You men don't have as much room in there as we women do. Six to seven months is the average carrying time. Any more than that and you're severely risking your and the baby's life."

"But is it ready to…you know, come out by six months?"

"Although you are a boy, Naruto, the child is still a human baby. It physically needs nine months to fully develop within the mother's but you can not possibly hold a baby for nine months, only for seven at the most and that's pushing it. You already have two weeks so you have twenty-two more weeks left until it's officially six months. Depending on how the situation looks, we can probably wait a week longer but we can't go over seven months."

"Oh…"

Tsuande sighed, "Didn't you read that scroll?"

"Yeah…but it didn't mention anything about the time span being shorter," Naruto mumbled with a small pout. "It only mentioned how there are three stages. But it didn't really say what any of the stages were or anything…"

"Then you don't know anything!" Tsunade said with an exasperated expression.

Sasuke eyed Naruto with no little irritation, "You got this seal on you and you don't even know-"

"Oh, stop it! Of course I do! I know what to expect, the symptoms, the _delivery_…I just didn't know it would take less time and I don't know anything really about the stages!"

"Well…the stages aren't too important. There are three stages, just like in a female pregnancy where there is the first, second and third trimester. You have the first stage which is from when the seal is placed to a month into the pregnancy. Once you reach the second stage which is from the second month to the fourth, you should feel more energized. The last stage includes the last two or three months of the pregnancy. The fifth month is not hazardous but it is very tiring. It's the sixth and seventh you need to watch out for. It's the most hazardous, surprisingly not so much for you but for the baby, mind you if you reach the end of the seventh month and this little tyke isn't out then you're most likely going to die."

"That's rather important information, Hokage," Sasuke said dully with a pointed glare as he remembered her earlier words, _'Well…the stages aren't too important' my ass_ he thought sourly.

Tsunade shrugged, "I am the physician," she said as if that explained all and they assumed it did.

"You're done for the day. Come back next week. I want you to eat a bit more protein and greens, spinach will do nicely and stay away from Ramen, you hear?"

Naruto grimaced at her words, the expression on his face that of heartbrokeness. _'small sacrifices, small sacrifices…'_

* * *

The Hyuuga clan, surprisingly, were the first to know. Then the rest of the larger, more important clans, then the Council members and from there, every damn person, from those on their deathbed to those just turning one, everyone by the end of third week knew.

Sasuke expected many reactions. He did not expect to be punched by the Hyuuga all the while being called an asshole. Which was followed by a rather awkward conversation.

Quite frankly, he wasn't sure to be annoyed or amused.

_Sasuke opened the door, a quick and curt retort in mind for the damn banging that had nearly shook the hole house but a fist swung and connected with his head before he could utter the first syllable. _

"_You fucking asshole!" he heard and after he got over the shock that someone had just hit him, he looked up towards the door to see it was Neji._

_He glared, his head still a bit rattled from the punch. He'd give the damn Hyuuga that, he sure could punch._

"W_hat the fuck is wrong with you?" he snapped, his hand fisting. _

_The Hyuuga entered the room, uninvited, his glare fixed on Sasuke and his lips pursed angrily back in a sneer. He slammed the door behind him._

"_He's pregnant? Naruto is fucking pregnant!"_

_Sasuke raised an eyebrow, "Is this an accusation or a question?"_

_Neji snarled, "You made him do the seal! You selfish cold-"_

"_I didn't make him do anything!" Sasuke snapped, glaring, "I didn't even know he got the seal until he tells me the next day he's pregnant!"_

_Neji posture stiffened at the statement and his glare seemed to soften into a curious gaze. He drew back into his full height, his shoulders losing their tense hold and he said slowly, "He did it?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Wasn't your idea?"_

"_No."_

"_It was all his?"_

"_I was rather angry at him once I found out."_

"_Are you keeping it?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Why?" _

_Sasuke narrowed his eyes, "What do you mean why?"_

_Neji titled his head, "From what I heard, the seal is quite dangerous. Might kill him," he said almost too calmly._

"_I know."_

"_Then why are you-"_

"_He begged me too."_

_An awkward silence fell before Neji turned his back towards Sasuke and walked towards the door. He pulled the door open calmly and said idly, "He was wearing the Uchiha symbol at the day of the festival."_

"_Yeah…so?"_

"_Well…he's not an Uchiha." He left before Sasuke could say anything. _

_

* * *

_

"Naruto?"

"Hmmm?" Naruto said as he continued to stir the pot. He tasted the soup, with a slight thoughtful expression.

Needs more salt…

"Naruto."

"What?" he replied, all the while keeping his back towards Sasuke.

"Naruto," Sasuke mumbled calmly once again.

"What!" he snapped as he finally turned around with a heated glare. He let a sudden yelp as Sasuke wrapped his arms around Naruto's waist and with a sudden, almost violent pull, brought the smaller boy against him.

"Sasuke! What the fu-"

"Will you marry me?"

His narrowed eyes grew large and round almost comically as his mind tried to profess what Sasuke had just said.

He left the vice-like grip loosen around his waist and an arm snake up towards his neck where the fingers caressed the little hairs before those somewhat rough fingers swept into his hair. "Will you take my name, Naruto?" Sasuke whispered again and his eyes were filled with so much raw emotion that it shock Naruto to his very core.

He had only seen Sasuke truly this open and unguarded when he had returned from Ororchimaru at the age of sixteen.

That had been three years ago, wait a bit more actually. Two years and three months as lovers and the intensity in his eyes shined like they never shined before, far surpassing the emotions that gleamed within red irises that rainy day of his return.

"I want you to be an Uchiha. I want you to be able to wear my symbol without any scoffs from any of the villagers. I want you to marry me."

Naruto opened his mouth but nothing but a small squeak left him. He stared at Sasuke with cerulean eyes, no longer wide but searching.

"I-"

The fingers still at the base of his neck stopped their idle playing with his hair and they traveled to the base of his neck and then towards a scarred cheek. The caress was barely a brush of skin against skin and Naruto found himself closing his eyes at the feeling so intimate that it was all he needed.

"Yes…I'll marry you," he whispered as he leaned up on his tiptoes and brushed his lips against dries ones. "I'll marry you, Uchiha Sasuke."

**End of Chapter**

* * *

I'm actually quite surprised no one noticed the little bit of foreshadowing in the last chapter where Neji noticed the Uchiha symbol on Naruto's back and had pointed out that only people from the clan or those planning to marry into the clan very soon can wear the symbol and seeing as Naruto isn't a Uchiha then the only assumption would be that he was going to be marrying into the family. Our little Sasuke has been thinking about marriage for a while it seems!

Anyway! I'm not sure if I'm pleased with this chapter or not. Hmmm. I feel like I'm not making the scenes flow fluently enough, I'll try to work on that next chapter. And once again, this is unbetaed, so sorry for any mistakes. Speaking of which, I noticed in chapter one, I called Hitori (one of Sasuke's ANBU subordinates) Hitomi which is the girl in Naruto's genin team. Sorry for the mistake!

In a way, I got to play with Itachi and his personality and I just loved poking at him. grin. I hope you guys realize that Itachi has certain feelings for Naruto, is it love? No. It's not even like or attraction but he feels almost possessive of Naruto and it irks him that- oops…sorry! Can't give away too much now!

Anyway, next chapter we'll have the wedding and some bit of fluff. A bit of what Itachi is up to and an unexpected visit at the Uchiha compound (not Itachi). Also, some of you might have noticed that Naruto and Sasuke did not approach the subject of Naruto seeing Itachi during the festival again even though more than two weeks have past. That'll also be explained next chapter.

OH! KIMO IS NOT ITACHI! I've gotten some reviews asking if they are one and the same and I'm sorry if I've confused you but they aren't.

Also, for chapter seven, some rather comical scenes as we see everyone, mostly Sasuke, dealing with Naruto's mood swings and irrationality.

Anyway, tell me what you guys think. This story will not be too long; I imagine around fifteen chapters in all, no more than twenty (I hope). So we're about a fourth way there. ()

**REVIEW** AND DON'T FORGET TO VOTE! ALSO, THE PAIRINGS SO FAR THAT I'M LEANING ON PUTTING ARE:

ShinoKiba GaaNeji ShikaTemari LeeSakura….but it's **undecided** yet, I might change my mind in the end…I can be rather fickle.


	6. VI Visits of Them and Their Wedding

-**A Clan's Pride** -

**Summary:** "Naruto! I'm _**serious**_! This is dangerous, it could and most likely will kill you!" When you love someone, you often forget yourself and remember them.

**Warnings:** Yaoi; Mpreg; Angst; Language; Sexual Situations;

**Disclaimer:** Let's keep it short and swift: don't own it.

**Pairing:** SasuNaru, one-sided ItaNaru _other minor Yaoi, Het pairings_

**Beta/Helper:**

**AN:** The official pairings are: SasuNaru, ShinoKiba, GaaNeji, with a hint of LeeSakura and ShikaTemari. The last two, I don't really like and may have it broken up during the middle of the story so many of you don't get too comfortable!

But anyway! A reviewer mentioned that Sakura has not made an appearance although I've written five chapters. They seemed rather annoyed about it and I was rather confused. I mean, Sakura is not important in this story and I wonder why the hell they think she is. I have mentioned her in Naruto's flashback and that's about it so yeah but there's no reason to like practically attack me for not showing her. She's not really important, she's a side-character and then there's the fact I'm rather indifferent about her. Anyway, sorry for the rant but I thought I should mention it. Anyway! Happy Reading!

**

* * *

VI. Visits of Them and Their Wedding **

Naruto ignored the whispers as he was use to doing while he walked through the village, although five weeks with someone growing in him and a week of all the villagers knowing was starting to become taxing.

Their wedding had been announced four days ago, a day after Sasuke proposed, and the villagers were once again in an uproar. Naruto couldn't decide if that was a good thing or not.

Were they happy that the Uchiha clan was soon going to be reformed? Or were they livid that the 'mother' of the future Uchihas was the vessel of the Kyuubi who would soon be an Uchiha?

Naruto worried over such trivial matters as Sasuke calls it but he couldn't help it. He entered the grocery store and went straight to the vegetable section. He had delayed Tsunade's order for spinach for as long as possible, although he had stayed away from Ramen, but Sasuke had noticed and had made sure on their grocery list, the dreadful vegetable was written was listed along with many other vegetables.

Naruto grimaced. God this was going to be _awful_!

He personally hated all types of greens except for lettuce when it was covered with vinegar and olive oil. Sasuke, on the other hand could eat practically anything and the only reason they had vegetables at the house was because Sasuke _liked_ them.

He walked out of the green's section almost as if his butt was on fire with the shopping basket in hand towards the dairy section.

He arrived home thirty minutes later with bags in hands and a bit tired. He was beginning to get use to the seal but it still drained him quickly after tedious exercises.

"Sasuke! Come help me with this will you?" Naruto called out as he put the bags down beside the kitchen counter and sat down with a tired sigh.

"Naruto?" Sasuke called out when he noticed Naruto, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, just tired. You know they're still talking about us getting married soon," Naruto said idly although how his hands fidgeted Sasuke concluded Naruto was anything but calm inside.

"Those idiots. I wonder if they have lives of their own," he grumbled as he began putting the groceries away. "You actually bought the spinach?"

Naruto glared, "Yes!"

Sasuke smirked, "I was actually thinking I would have to go and get it myself once you came back."

Naruto huffed, "You have no faith in me!"

"About eating something actually good for you? No I don't." He closed the refrigerator door and walked towards Naruto. He wrapped his arms around the slim figure and buried his face into the blueberry smelling hair.

"Asshole…" Naruto mumbled but did not pull away from the embrace.

"Naruto?"

"Hmm?"

"I talked to the Hokage today."

"Yeah? What for?"

"She says we could and it wouldn't hurt the baby…" Sasuke smirked smugly as he felt Naruto fidget in the embrace.

"Yeah…?"

"Hmmm…" Sasuke hummed as he bent and trailed light kisses on the tanned neck, "Too tired?" he asked as his lips left the flushed skin.

"No…" Naruto bit his lip as the kisses continued.

"Good."

* * *

"Auh!" Naruto breathed as he bucked his hips against the finger deep within him. He heard the husky chuckle but ignored it as another finger was added. They moved and wiggled and thrust deep into him, hitting his prostrate more than once making him gasp and moan oh-so beautifully and their slow pace only added to Naruto's frustration before all together pulling out.

"Damn it you asshole! If you don't stop fucking around-"

Sasuke chuckled at his words, "You're so riled up, today."

"Shut up and get moving!" Naruto said almost desperately as Sasuke kissed his neck before trailing down his chest and attacking a pink nub. Naruto meowed desperately as Sasuke continued his sucking all the while one hand caressed his thigh and cock, the other keeping him rightly in place. Sasuke licked the abused nipple once more before switching towards other one, receiving a low drawled out groan from Naruto.

"Sa'ke!" Naruto yelled out in desperate frustration.

Those fingers were back again and this time they moved in an almost zealous pace. A moan pushed past his throat and through his pursed lips but was eaten by Sasuke's demanding mouth.

He dully registered the fingers leaving him as he responded to the kiss pushing all his emotions into the action but the pleasurable sting of being completely full ran up and down his spine and he shivered. His legs wrapped around Sasuke's waist and a gasp left him when his hips lifted, pushing him in even further.

Something this good had to be wrong, Naruto often concluded but damn it if he didn't want more of it.

His legs tighened around Sasuke's waist all the while effectively meeting each of Sasuke's thrust. A gasp left him as he was filled with molten lava, the slow liquid burning slowly from within and with much effort. He pulled away from his ecstasy driven mind and managed to open his eyes. His eyes met Sasuke's molten one, his already heated face flushed further at such an intense gaze.

He lost himself once more as he flung his hands around Sasuke's neck and brought himself closer to pale, heated flesh, lava coiling in his belly.

"Sa'ke…" he moaned near the brunette's ear. "Faster!" he begged, "Harder…fast-faster…Sa'ke, please…"

Sasuke groaned and answered his plea. A cry filled the room as he sped up and Naruto thrust his hips upward with each stroke, the ever present lava burned until it was almost painful but the pleasure was all he truly registered and it engulfed him.

When the lava finally exploded he cried out, throwing his head back against the pillows.

With a final thrust, Sasuke buried himself in him as his speed spilled freely. Naruto's hold around his neck did not loosen, in fact it seemed to almost tighten as he clenched onto him desperately all the while trying to catch his breath. He felt light kisses on his shoulder and smiled contently as he closed his eyes.

"Not bad…" he whispered still slightly out of breath, "Been better though…" He heard Sasuke snort in amusement or annoyance, he wasn't sure and he giggled but let out a surprised meow as the Uchiha bit his shoulder, "Dobe."

It started to rain.

* * *

"Sasuke-kun, hi." It was the first thing he heard when he opened the door. He stared at the girl- no woman in front of him with the same even gaze he used for her when they were once in the same team.

Sasuke had always seen her as an annoyance, an annoyance that started to grow on him and eventually he began to see her as a friend.

She was beautiful in her own way, especially now. She had decided while he was gone to keep her hair short, brisk in the cut and slightly layered. Her green eyes were still pale with that same blue hue and were more interesting then before. They were older and shrewder with a certain glint. Sasuke wasn't sure if it could be considered malicious. She had grown tall and more developed, her figure that of a woman and all and all, desirable.

She would have been a woman his parents might have picked for him to be his wife. He wondered if it was so bad that he, for that one second was glad his parents were not there.

"Sakura," he mumbled her name and despite himself, he realized he had missed saying it.

She smiled attentively, "May I come in?"

He inclined his head before stepping to the side, letting her pass.

"What do you want?" he asked her bluntly just as she past him.

"I can't come see my old teammates?"

"You haven't "come to see your old teammates" since Naruto moved in here," Sasuke said as he leaned against the wall.

She bit her lip, her eyes almost penetrating him. He returned the forceful gaze with his own cool one and she looked away.

"I-I wanted to congratulate you two."

"Really?"

"Yeah…I mean you're going to have a child soon and you're getting married too…"

Sasuke didn't reply, waiting for Sakura to continue or to leave.

She returned her gaze to him and said softly, "Are you happy with him?"

"You're not stupid so why are you asking such stupid questions?"

Sakura stiffened, her posture growing erect, "Why can't you just answer the question? Is it because you don't want to face some dark ugly truth, Sasuke?" she said snidely.

Sasuke snorted, "Hardly. I love Naruto, I loved him when I saved him from Haku, I loved him when I nearly killed him and I loved him when I returned. He's the reason I returned and why I stay. I love him and I'm as you so say, happy with him, utterly."

Sakura's posture was still straight and proper but her figure shook ever so slightly. "Why did you ever fall in love with him? What was so great about him, what was so ugly about me?" she whispered and Sasuke could not tell if her bitterness was directed to Naruto or the whole situation in general.

"You were not ugly, just annoying. You were smart and sharp. You had your own strength that surpassed mine or his. But you were so terribly weak and had no ambition to you. Naruto…he was everything I wasn't and never will be. He's so strong; his soul is so pure…I couldn't help but love him, protect him even with his naivety and stupidity, maybe because of it."

Sasuke didn't respond.

"Do you hate him for it?" Sasuke asked after a tense silence fell.

"No…I could never hate Naruto. He is my best friend; he stayed here while you left. He's too good to hate unless you yourself are evil."

"You hurt him though." Sasuke said with an unforgiving tone, "Do you know how many times he has nearly left me because of you and your opinion?"

Sakura flinched, "I can't help if I-"

"You're just malicious."

"No! I'm not! I loved you…I loved you more than I could comprehend! So I'm sorry if I could not forgive Naruto for getting in the way of your dreams. I'm sorry if I was envious of his luck but I can't help what I felt."

"You have Lee."

"Yeah, I do," she whispered, her lips tugging into an almost mirthful smile, "I love him you know."

"Then why are you here."

"I told you, I wanted to congratulate you."

"I'm not stupid."

"Never said you were," Sakura responded almost airy. Her lips twitched, "I wanted to make sure I could let you go."

Sasuke ignored her possessive comment, "Naruto is upstairs resting-"

"Why? I saw him almost two hours ago coming here from the shop," Sakura asked with a mild confused look.

A smug look crossed Sasuke's features, "It seems I tired him out…"

It was amusing to see a slight blush color her cheeks but it didn't cover up the incredulous look she threw his way. "The seal is tiring enough and you're having sex with him!"

He shrugged, "He said he wasn't tired."

"You-"

"Sakura?"

A voice whispered from the doorway to the living room. They turned and saw Naruto wrapped in a robe, his expression that of bewilderment.

"Hi Naruto," Sakura said with a nice lovely smile that warmed her eyes slightly although they still had a cool glaze.

"What are you doing here?" he asked and quickly added with a nervous gesture, "Not that I don't want you here or anything!"

"Actually, I came by to congratulate you two. A wedding coming up and a family by next year," she titled her head and opened her arms in a welcoming gesture. It did nothing to ease Naruto but he took slow and hesitant steps towards her.

He felt cool arms wrap around him and he awkwardly returned the hug. He had avoided her since he had heard the conversation between her and Ino almost two years ago, the same day he was to move in with Sasuke. He had a feeling she had been avoiding him too.

"Thank you," he said as he pulled away from her. He looked into her eyes and saw something he could not quite identify. He moved from her side and walked towards Sasuke, his white robe obviously not his. It almost touched the floor and despite the fact that it was tightly fastened it still revealed a tanned shoulder.

"Sa'ke…" he whispered as he wrapped his arms around the tall shinobi and placed his lips against the Uchiha's. They devoured each other, their lips, their tongue, their teeth; running against each other and nibbling and sucking. Their breath was taken and mixed into one and they pulled away with a slight gasp. Sasuke raised an eyebrow in question and gave him an almost questioning look.

Naruto turned towards Sakura and smiled a beautiful smile that did not reach his eyes, "I hope you can make it to the wedding Sakura-chan!"

Sakura's eyes narrowed almost unnoticeably in a pensive gesture, her posture tensing in alert. Finally she made a small sound that sounded similar to one clearing their throat, her eyes growing lighter and shrewder, "Well of course. But I haven't gotten my invitation yet…"

"You'll get it soon!" Naruto said with such sweetness that it was almost appalling. He still clung to Sasuke as if he has his lifeline. Sasuke didn't seem to mind.

Sakura looked at her watch, "Damn it…I'm late. I wanted to stay for a bit longer to talk to you guys but I guess I should have left home earlier! Anyway, got to go to the hospital for my shift!" She smiled once more and then almost briskly walked past them and towards the door.

They turned just in time to see the door closing behind her.

"What was that about?" asked Sasuke a moment longer.

Naruto shrugged but his gasp did not loosen. "What do you mean, teme?"

"Don't go acting any more stupid than you already are," Sasuke said ignoring the low growl that emitted from Naruto, "You know what I mean."

Naruto released him with an angry huff before sauntering towards the kitchen.

"Why did you kiss me?" Sasuke asked as he followed the blonde towards the kitchen.

"You don't want me to kiss you?" Naruto asked with a hint of hurt in his voice and Sasuke rolled his eyes, "Idiot…I mean then, at that moment in front of Sakura."

"Well…is there something wrong with me kissing you in front of her?" Naruto said a bit testy as he washed his hands.

A smirk tugged on Sasuke's lips, "You're jealous…"

Naruto, who had finished washing his hand and was at the moment searching for food in the refrigerator seemed to stiffen momentarily before continuing his search.

"I am not jealous." He said with an insulted tone.

"You are," Sasuke said with a smug tone.

"I'm not jealous!" Naruto screamed as he put the spinach and other food on the counter. He glared, "I'm not jealous! Why would I be jealous? Should I be jealous, teme?"

Sasuke chuckled, "Hm…I think it's adorable." He turned and left the kitchen before Naruto could grab the pan and throw it at him.

* * *

It had been over a month since the festival, since Naruto had seen him. He saw him again.

The Uchiha compound owned a private garden that was conveniently close to the main house. Before the Uchiha Massacre, it was mostly the women of the clan who took care of it and it was the haven of the Uchiha's. Sasuke, after the tragic incident, lost any interest in the garden and it slowly, through the years, lost its beauty.

Of course, when Naruto moved in he, with his ever green thumb went to work on it whenever he was not on a mission or training or just plain busy. The almost barren and dead garden slowly grew and flourished until it was once more the green haven it once was.

Sasuke was on a one day mission, a quick and easy escorting mission and Naruto who had not visited his little haven in a while, decided to go and make sure his green friends were doing alright.

He arrived with little trouble, by then already use to the seal. He did not get as tired as usual but that was to be expected. He had entered the second stage of his pregnancy and as Tsunade said, he felt more energized and did not suffer from his symptoms as much as before.

His garden was not, fortunately, outside but in a dome somewhat like a greenhouse. He was quite grateful of this seeing as it was winter. It had yet to snow but Naruto knew it was only a matter of time and although he knew it was a natural process, he did not like the thought of his plants suffering through a cold winter.

He grabbed the key from his pocket and entered the dome, immediately feeling the difference in temperature. He was quick to close the door behind him and shed his large coat which fell to the ground.

He hummed a nice tone as he walked towards where he usually left the hose. He lifted it without difficulty, opened the tap and proceeded towards the closest plant which was about two meters away.

He looked up for a moment and his gaze, as all the times before caught sight of him. He was outside the dome, absent was the usual coat, instead a black coat that reached his knees. He had his hands in its pocket and he stood there with the same stoic expression as always. His eyes were red like the blood that flowed in him and were cold but it was as if when their gaze met, they seemed to lose most of their ice.

He dropped the hose and his arms immediately wrapped around his middle. He let out a shaky breath, his eyes growing wide.

He had never been so terrified in his life. This was the man who killed every Uchiha except Sasuke. What if he decided to kill the child also? There was no doubt that if he had been here since the festival that he knew about baby and this overwhelmed and shook him to the core. He knew, albeit he would never admit it, that he could not defeat Itachi in his current condition. He was truly, for the first time in his life, unwilling and totally against fighting the other for the possibility of his baby being a casualty was a high one.

Itachi titled his head slightly before he disappeared. Naruto began to relax, that is until he felt an unexpected gust of wind and Itachi appeared before him, two meters away…inside the dome.

"Naruto-san…" he mumbled. Naruto felt a shiver run down his spine at the velvet voice.

The two brothers were too similar to not be related, especially now that Sasuke was older. He was beginning to develop the traditional lines near the eyes, the sign of the usage of the Sharingan. Yet their coldness was different, if that made since. Itachi was brutally blunt while Sasuke was brutally sharp.

They both hurt; just different types of pain.

"What do you want?" Naruto asked, barely a whisper.

"Really now Naruto-san…after all this time I would have thought it was clear to you…"

Naruto took a step back, his feet stepping into the puddle forming on the ground by the still running water.

A chuckle escaped those thin lips, "Do not worry, Narutoo-san…I am not here to take you away…although I should probably take the advantage your condition presents to me."

Naruto shook his head slightly, his arms wrapping around his stomach tighter, "No…please…"

"I already said I was not here to fight you or take you away…"

"Then-" Naruto cleared his throat and it seemed with the motion, his courage returned. He glared heatedly, "Then fucking leave!"

Itachi raised an eyebrow, "Technically, I have no reason to listen to you. This is still my property and although you are his fiancé, you are still not part of this family."

"Don't give me that shit! If you don't have any real reason for being here, then leave!" Naruto almost shrieked all the while backing away, shaking.

"Do I make you nervous, Naruto-chan? Why?" Itachi asked with clear amusement.

Naruto did not answer and it seemed like this little fact ruined his amusement. His eyes narrowed critically. "You are very odd, Naruto-san…"

Naruto snorted, "That's a good one, coming from you…" he stopped walking, his cerulean eyes heated and alive. He lowered his hands to the side slowly, feeling a little less threatened.

"Ah…are you no longer afraid of me, Naruto-san?" Itachi said as he saw the heated look directed to him and the lack of shaking.

He moved and before Naruto could react, was not even an inch away, his arm around his shoulder, their faces nearly touching.

Naruto tried to pull away but then he felt a hand on his stomach. The coldness swept through the thin shirt he wore and he, on impulse, brought his hand towards his stomach and it fell on top of Itachi's.

"Ah…so you're afraid for you baby?" Itachi murmured, his breath tickling Naruto's skin, "Why? Do you think I would hurt my future nephew? Or maybe niece?"

"You killed everyone in your clan in cold blood…why wouldn't I think you would do the same to my child?"

"Simple…it's your child. And although it has my cursed blood in its vein, it is protected by the blood that you gave it…" Itachi whispered. His eyes bled and Naruto was surprised to find out he was looking at black coal eyes. "I promise you that I will never hurt your child…" Itachi stated and Naruto shook even more, his eyes wide with too many emotions to decipher.

Naruto felt cold lips on his and he could not react for that one moment and by the time he regained control of his body, Itachi had pulled away and was standing outside the dome, his eyes red and narrowed. His lips were pulled back into a tight line and he seemed to repress something, a harsh emotion or a wild passion.

His lips parted and although Naruto could not hear him, he knew what he said, 'I'll be back for you…'

He turned and walked briskly away, never once turning around to look at the dome.

* * *

Naruto had, in a slight haze, turned off the water, grabbed his coat and walked towards the main building. It was when he walked into their room and he discarded his clothing and snuggled into the bed that he realized what happened and he let out a small, contained shriek.

His lips burned coldly and he did not know if it was because of the cold or because of the kiss. He shook under the covers, his breath coming out in short pants.

He stayed under the covers until he heard Sasuke return.

Naruto told Sasuke nothing about Itachi.

* * *

The wedding was tomorrow. It hit him like a ton of bricks. He almost didn't get out of bed. Of course, eventually he did and with a sigh, he got ready for the day.

He had not thought of Itachi or the incident that happened two weeks ago for he forcefully pushed the thoughts to the deepest part of his mind but it seemed like today, he could not for it hit him and would not let go.

He walked down the stairs, his stomach uneasy. He rubbed it, as he seemed to be doing lately and he began to hum. He heard loud mumbling from the study and he grinned slightly, imagining Sasuke pouring his attention to last minute details of their wedding.

It was tomorrow!

He wanted to scream and jump for joy but at the same time, he wanted to run back upstairs and hid in their closest. It was weird.

He heard knocking from the door and with a slight frown; he closed the tap and walked towards the door, drying his hands in the process.

"Yes…" he said as he opened the door and a smile tugged his lips when he saw who it was.

"Hi!" he said a little too loud to be a normal tone, "What are you guys doing here?"

Hitori smiled easily, "Hello Naruto-chan…"

Naruto wrinkled his nose, "First the –san and now –chan? Damn it!" he said but then grinned, "Well as long as you're not here to take Sasuke-teme on a mission…"

"We wouldn't dream of it! Your wedding is tomorrow after all!" Kikyo said with a grin, "But we are here to tell the Captain the Hokage wants to see him."

"Why are you the one bringing the summoning?" Naruto asked in a confused tone.

"Well we were there. You see, we three were at a mission without the Captain so the Hokage took the opportunity that we were there and put us to good use…"

"Oh…" Naruto said with a tilt of his head. "Well, come in! I'm just about to make breakfast! Wanna join us?"

"Not sure the Captain would appreciate that…" Hitori said with an amused glint as they entered the house.

Naruto waved his hand in a dismissing gesture, "Don't worry about the asshole…" he glanced towards them and his gaze landed on Kimo.

"Kimo, you're awfully quiet."

"I have nothing to say," he said smoothly and Naruto shrugged his shoulder.

"You look uncomfortable," he said with a small growing grin, "But you don't get along with the bastard so I can understand why you'd be uncomfortable in his house…"

"Hmm…indeed."

Naruto giggled at him and Kimo for a moment felt a painful tug at his heartstring.

"Teme! You have visitors!" They could have sworn the building shook under Naruto's voice and the ANBU felt their face twitch, in amusement, astonishment at the volume and at the now ringing of their ears.

They heard loud mumbling and something falling loud and harsh against a surface.

"What!" Sasuke screamed as he came out of his study and slammed the door behind him.

"Your team is here…" Naruto said with a grin as he rubbed his stomach absently, "they're staying for breakfast."

"Why?" Sasuke asked incredulously. "Why the fuck did you invite them?"

"Sasuke! Don't be such an ass! They're staying," Naruto glared and turned towards the kitchen but then stopped abruptly, "Oh yeah…you got to go to the Hokage and talk to her…but after you eat!" he giggled once more and Sasuke felt his eye twitch in pure annoyance.

He bit his tongue and let Naruto enter the kitchen without a disturbance but he turned towards his team and glared, "You could have just said no." he jeered.

"He just invited us and we did have to give you the summoning…" Kikyo said with a shrug. "It's not like he invited us to your wedding or something," Kikyo said and gave him a pointed look.

They heard a pot fall and quick steps. He appeared at the door frame and stared at Sasuke with a certain look, "Invite them." He said plainly. He turned and walked back to the kitchen.

Sasuke looked about ready to burst a blood vessel. "Damn it, he's lucky he's pregnant…"

* * *

It snowed. It was nothing heavy and in fact it created a beautiful scenery. He wore a white kimono with a gold slash that reached the floor. The kimono was decorated by flowers and their vines and flowing petals that was a silvery tone that almost blended in with the white. The golden slash held oriental designs that seemed to be of little birds and trees that were incorporated into other elaborate designs.

He, although liked it, thought it made him look just a tad bit like a girl.

Sasuke, in the other hand wore a black haori and matching hakama that was almost plain compared to Naruto's attire.

Kiba had a laugh when he learned Naruto was going to wear white standing for purity.

"_Purity my ass,"_ he had roared and continued laughing despite the two angry shinobi next to him.

It was to take place on Uchiha compound, on the land east of the main building. It was where all the other weddings were always held and it was made specifically for weddings and ceremonial occasions. It was decorated in whites and gold with seats and a nice podium. The place was protected by an elaborate roof that shielded the podium where the "bride" and groom were to be wedded and it also protected the place where the invited sat.

Naruto fidgeted in place, his hands held by Sasuke's. He mumbled something that was lost to the guest and to the Hokage who was performing the wedding but it was not lost on Sasuke who smiled a small one and nodded his head curtly, "Me too…" he said before he cleared his throat and answered the Hokage's question with confidence, "I do."

Naruto smiled and when it was his turn he said, his voice soft and slightly airy, "I do."

He bent his head and kissed Naruto, a pure chaste kiss that lasted for a moment in time. They pulled away and shared a private smile and Sasuke took in the sight of Naruto and saved it in his memory and engraved it in his heart. "God help me…" he mumbled. Naruto heard him and gave him a questioning look. Sasuke smiled an almost melancholy smile, "I love you so much it sometimes hurts…is this my punishment for my sins, Naruto? Or are you my reward? For what I wonder…"

Naruto titled his head and kissed him on his cheek. A memory flashed behind Sasuke's eyes, of the day they first went out and how, at the end of their date, Naruto stood at his toes and kissed him on his cheek. It was sweet and pure but he felt so much passion in that little gesture that he was rooted in place even when Naruto pulled away. It was only when Naruto had spoken that we was pulled out of his surprise. He had been very beautiful that day too.

"Neither," Naruto mumbled, "We were simply meant to be…since the very beginning…"

* * *

WOW! I know, you guys probably are like wanting to kill me but -hiding behind a rock- I'm sorry for the late update! I sort of like this chapter yet at the same time…hmmmm….geez, I know I can do better. But anyway, I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed expect for this one person who was just being rude. I'm so happy, 151 reviews for five chapters. -smile-

Tell me what you guys think and leave a review!

OH! THIS IS NOT BETAED! Sleepy-chan offered and I agreed but…I lost her email so -pout- I couldn't get it betaed. Sorry for any mistakes and if you would point them out, I'll fix them.

SORRY FOR THE NOT SO GOOD LEMON -pout- that was my first yaoi lemon so be gentle!

**NEXT CHAPTER**: Comical scenes as we see everyone, mostly Sasuke dealing with Naruto's mood swings and irrationality, although you saw a bit of that this chapter. Also…Itachi!

Thanks!


	7. VII I Want This Color

-**A Clan's Pride** -

**Summary:** "Naruto! I'm _**serious**_! This is dangerous, it could and most likely will kill you!" When you love someone, you often forget yourself and remember them.

**Warnings:** Yaoi; Mpreg; Angst; Language; Sexual Situations;

**Disclaimer:** Let's keep it short and swift: don't own it.

**Beta/Helper:** None at the Moment!

**AN:** So! Chapter seven! We'll be seeing people especially Sasuke dealing with Naruto's mood swings and irrationality along with Sasuke and Naruto talking about Itachi. Also, we see a bit of Itachi's plans.

Also as a means of guidance I've come up with a Time Table:

Day 1- Seal placed

1 Week Pregnant (1 week after _Day 1_) the Aki-Yuki Festival

2 Weeks Pregnant

3 Weeks Pregnant- End of third week everyone knew

4 Weeks Pregnant- Four days after end of third week, Sasuke proposed

5 Weeks Pregnant- Sakura's Visit

6 Weeks Pregnant- Encounters Itachi in the dome

7 Weeks Pregnant

8 Weeks Pregnant

9 Week Pregnant- Wedding

**The Stages:**

1st: Seal placed – End of 1st month (4th week)

2nd: 2nd month (fifth week) – End of 4th month (16th week)

3rd: 5th month (17h week) – End of 6th/7th month (24th week/28th week)

If you guys are confused or you think I've made a mistake, let me know and I'll clear anything up!

Well! On with the show!

**

* * *

VII. I Want This Color**

There was a distant rumble that seemed to shrink and grow in volume until it reached a point of complete silence. The tedious cycle would begin once more after a while.

Naruto had been awake for some time, listening to the cycle idly and it was this cycle among other things that kept him awake.

His back ached, he wasn't the least bit tired, and he had a strange craving for peanut butter and jelly sandwich although he hated peanut butter. It sticks to the roof of your mouth making it so annoying to eat and swallow and plus, it tasted _nasty_. He still wanted some though. He turned his body to its side and faced the sleeping brunet. Sasuke had just come from a three day mission and had fallen asleep the moment his body had touched the bed. It had not been an overly difficult mission but he had faced a small army of enemies and although he was not injured, he had used a great deal of his chakra.

Naruto bit his lip in thought before making up his mind and opened his mouth, "Sasuke…" he whispered as if afraid of waking him up.

"Sasuke!" he whispered a bit more harshly.

He gave a start; his immediate response was searching for the danger that had woken him up. When it became apparent there was no such thing, he glanced towards Naruto and once seeing that he blond was indeed awake, sighed.

"Naruto…it's not even four in the morning," he mumbled with a hint of annoyance as he glanced towards the alarm on the nightstand, "Can't whatever you want wait till later?"

"No," Naruto whispered, "We need to talk."

"What is it?" Sasuke asked as he rubbed his tired eyes. Damn it…he wanted _**sleep**_!

"Well…this is my 11th week and I- well I think its time to start preparing for the baby. I want the nursery to be orange."

"Are you kidding!" Sasuke growled as he massaged his head all the while gritting his teeth. "This couldn't wait until I drank some coffee?"

"This is important, teme! This is the color of our baby's room!" Naruto said with conviction. His eyes narrowed critically, "Orange is a good color and-"

"Don't you think it's still a bit too early to start worrying about color?" Sasuke asked as he closed his eyes, all the while trying to go back to sleep.

"No."

"Naruto-" growled Sasuke, moments away from shoving Naruto from the bed.

"Look teme! I think it's a perfect time to start worrying about this but if you don't think so then _obviously_ you don't care about our baby at _**all**_!" Naruto hissed angrily.

"Naruto-"

"But that's fine! _I'll_ love our baby plenty enough for the both of us! You, you can just sleep away-"

"Naruto-"

"-crying and wondering why his meany of a father didn't care enough to paint his room-"

"Dobe-"

"-but that's fine! Just fine! I'm going to color it whatever color I want and when he grows older and stuff, I'll take the credit for him being a great, **loving** person because I'm the one who loved him and if he turns out to be a mean, nasty sadistic little bastard, it'll be all your fault!"

"Naruto! We'll start on the nursery today ok?" Sasuke snapped as he turned his back towards Naruto, feeling a headache coming on. Damn that fucking seal.

A smile split Naruto's face in half. "Great! Let's get started now!"

"Damn it Naruto! We can start after breakfast-"

"Then I'll make breakfast now but seriously Sasuke, you should rethink eating so late- wait so early in the morning. It can mess up your whole eating schedule and-"

"Naruto," Sasuke growled menacing, "I want to sleep. A couple more hours is all I want. We'll start the fucking thing in the afternoon, when there's sun and the shops are actually open!"

"Fine," Naruto pouted, "But when he grows up-"

"Oh God, Naruto! Are you planning on whining until the sun comes up?"

"Fine!" Naruto spat, his brows knitted together in annoyance. He brought the large comforter closer to his body and pulled at it until more than half was on his side. He heard Sasuke mumble and growl and with a satisfied grin, he decided it was time to get some rest.

The tedious cycle of noise had gone away and so had that odd craving for a peanut-butter and jelly sandwich.

* * *

"I like orange."

"No."

"What! Why not?" Naruto whined as he looked up at the different colors example displayed on the walls of the paint store.

They had, after a nice quiet breakfast, left towards the paint store. Sasuke was still tired but he had functioned through worse. They had decided they would pick out the paint first and then the bedroom. Actually, Naruto had decided this for it seemed he couldn't wait and Sasuke just wanted to get the whole thing over with. Really- they still had more than ten weeks to go!

"It's a stupid color."

"I like it."

"Exactly."

"Why you little-" Naruto growled as he glared at the pale shinobi. He pursed his lips together and let out a harsh sigh, "Ok- what color do you like?"

"Gray." Sasuke said as he jerked his head towards the direction where the different shades of grays were.

Naruto stared at him incredulously and Sasuke shrugged nonchalantly, "What?"

"God, how depressing! No way, teme! I don't want him to turn out as broody as you!" He said.

"Can you just imagine it?" he mumbled as he shuddered, "A day in his room and he'll hate life before he has a chance to live it!"

"Dobe-"

"What about green? A nice bright green?"

"Do you want to blind the poor child? As an Uchiha, sight is rather important…"

"Ohh shut up!" Naruto snapped, "It's better than _gray_."

"Why can't we just leave it white?"

"No!" Naruto said as he grabbed one of the green examples and observed it critically. Lime green was ok but it looked so…icky… "That will tell him we didn't care enough to choose a color!"

"I doubt he'll be thinking too much about the color choice of his room," Sasuke said sarcastically as he rubbed his forehead. His headache was coming back. Why was this store so bright?

"Shows how much you know. Subconsciously, he will."

"Damn it what about blue?"

"What if it turns out to be a girl? She'll hate us! We gave her a blue room; she'll feel like your parents aren't in tune with her femininity."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Sasuke said, an eye twitching.

"We _can't_ paint it blue! We just can't! We'd be gambling with our baby's gender and sexual identity." Naruto said with a firm nod, seemingly oblivious to Sasuke's growing irritation.

"Fine," Sasuke spat as he clenched and unclenched his fist, "what about yellow? It's used all the time for parents who don't know the gender-"

"That's even worse! The baby will grow up not knowing its own gender! Can you imagine the confusion?" Naruto said a bit too loudly, his whole body shuddering. "The baby will blame us, we picked _yellow_. The baby will think we didn't care enough to know its gender, that we didn't care enough to pick a color so we just picked yellow! Yellow tells it we-"

"Oh for God's sake!" Sasuke roared, "The baby's not going to fucking know all that just because of the color of its wall!"

"Don't you know you're suppose to use you're _**inside voice**_, teme?" Naruto yelled back, "Some people are trying to shop!"

"Neutral colors?" Sasuke asked trying to get back on track all the while trying to keep a steady chant. _He's pregnant, he's pregnant…he has foreign hormones rushing through him, don't kick him through the wall, don't punch him to a bloody pulp…don't kill- _

"Neutral is so…ordinary," Naruto said, scrunching his nose cutely.

"What's wrong with ordinary?"

"Nothing but you'll be the one to explain to our child how you never thought he would be better than 'ordinary' or 'average'."

"I never said that!"

"That's good," Naruto said as he returned back to searching for a color.

Sasuke breathed in slowly. How was the idiot coming up with all these situations for every color?

"Alright, Naruto. What color do you want?"

"Hmmm…orange."

"Besides orange."

"Bright green."

"Besides bright green or anything that starts with 'bright'."

"Damn it teme! You just crossed out like half the colors here!"

"No I haven't. Look at this fucking wall!"

"I mean the bases. There's like the real colors and then their different shades."

"You're an idiot," Sasuke growled. "What about red?"

"I don't want our child to be violent!" Naruto said, "Hey! What about purple?"

"…"

"Yeah, you're right."

Naruto sighed, "This is hard work…"

"You have ten seconds to pick a color," Sasuke said, already reaching his limit.

"What!"

"10."

"No wait- I need more time."

"9."

"Teme-"

"8."

"Oh Wait! Ummm…damn it! I can't work under pressure!"

"5."

"Shut up!"

"4."

"Fine! We'll do…uhhhhh…" Naruto looked frantically up, down, right and left of the wall before picking two random colors.

"Umm…I guess these are ok…" Naruto mumbled with a small pout, "Plu-plumbago? What kind of name is that? Well, whatever, plumbago and emerald light."

"Finally," Sasuke mumbled as he headed towards the cash register, followed by Naruto. He didn't even look at the stupid colors. Now he had to go and get someone to actually paint because there was no way in hell he trusted Naruto with a large amount of paint.

They showed the woman at the register the two colors they wanted and ordered two buckets of each to be sent to the Uchiha residence. Sasuke asked in a less than civil manner if he could hire a painter there too and when it was confirmed, he paid them and left the store in brisk steps.

Naruto trailed a bit behind him, his happy mood seeminlgy not in the least bit affected by Sasuke's annoyance.

* * *

The bath was almost too warm but it helped his muscles greatly. His back and legs were starting to ache horribly after the beginning of the third month. He laid his hand on his slightly round stomach and rubbed it in an almost soothing manner.

He lay against the side of the large bath and closed his eyes as he let the tension in his body leave him.

He had not had a mission since the seal was placed and the only time he saw his genin team was the days he announced there would be practice. They had yet to find a replacement that would last them until he was due; instead they had had different Jounin for almost every one of their missions.

Then there was the other issue. Although they were married and were expecting a child, an Uchiha heir, the Council was not all too pleased. They did not think it very wise to have the fate of the next heir at the hands or should they say, _stomach_ of the Kyuubi vessel. Then there was the fact that they did not know what kind of affect the Kyuubi would have on the child. He bit his lower lip as his arms encircled his middle and he sighed.

"_**You worry too much."**_ Came a gruff voice from somewhere deep within him yet at the same time it appeared to be a whisper beside him.

"Kyuubi?"

"_**Who else? Unless you are hearing voices…"**_

"You haven't spoke to me since-"

"_**I'm done brooding. That nap helped…"**_

"That's nice…you're no longer mad at me?"

"_**Hmm…you are putting yourself in danger because of that-that **__**boy**__**. Of course I'm still angry at you but what's done is done and I suppose I have missed you." **_

"It's been very quiet without you."

"_**I doubt it. You make enough noise for the two of us."**_

Naruto almost pouted but reframed as he continued to caress his stomach, "The Council has been against this, Kyuubi…"

"_**If anything, I hope this boy of ours can at the very least get those old bones off your back."**_

"Yeah, I hope so too," Naruto mumbled, "I'm still worried."

"_**But not only about them?"**_

"I- I haven't seen Itachi lately."

"_**The brother? Isn't that a good thing?"**_

"He said he would return for me…I've been scared to tell Sasuke but…maybe I should tell him. I'm starting to become paranoid on top of emotional."

"_**I'm going to sleep."**_

"Alright…" Naruto mumbled with a sigh. He wished Kyuubi would tell him what to do.

Their odd relationship had started perhaps a month before Sasuke had returned. They did not speak to each other often but there was no need for Kyuubi had access to his memories and although the spirit fox slept most of the time, he was still aware of what occurred and would sometimes, especially if he was in a good enough mood, give Naruto advice.

It was a civil enough relationship that no one knew about. Not even Sasuke.

Naruto took a deep breath before plunging down, the water surrounding him completely. He stayed under until his lungs screamed for air and for a second longer before he sprung up and gasped.

"I thought you drowned for a moment." He turned and for a moment, he feared it was Itachi but it wasn't and he released the rest of his breath.

"Sa'ke…What are you doing here?" he asked as he suddenly felt very coy. Sasuke raised an eyebrow and seemed to suppress a smirk, "I live here remember?"

"You were angry with me…" Naruto said as he continued rubbing his stomach.

"You were annoying."

"You say that all the time though!"

"There's only so much of your annoyances that I can take," Sasuke said dryly and although Naruto was use to his dry and sometimes harsh comments, the comment hurt…just a little though.

He turned his back towards Sasuke as reached for the scrub and soap and proceeded to ignore him. The large bathhouse was silent except for the sound of scrubbing and the occasional splash of water.

Sasuke did not move from where he stood, all the while staring at Naruto's figure. It was never truly a good sign when Naruto became quiet. He was either brooding or thinking so hard he can't truly do anything else but another task which at the moment was scrubbing himself raw.

Either way, both were bad signs.

He sighed, his eyes stinging and his muscles aching.

_I'm too old for this_, he reasoned as he walked towards the large tub and without another thought, jumped in.

The splash started Naruto who let out a small yep as he dropped the soap and scrubber and held his hand over his heart as a means to calm it.

He turned around, his mouth already open so as to yell but he did not expect Sasuke to be an inch from him and he felt himself stumble and would have fallen if it wasn't for Sasuke steadying him.

"Teme! You're clothes are all wet now!" Naruto mumbled as he looked squarely at Sasuke's chest.

"Naruto?"

"Hmm?" Naruto mumbled all the while staring at Sasuke's wet shirt as if it had the meaning of life in it.

"Will you look at me?"

"Why…?"

"You're not telling me something," Sasuke said bluntly, "And I want to know if you can lie to me while looking me in the eyes."

Naruto's gaze snapped up in shock and it was held in place by Sasuke's even stare. "Sas-"

"You've seen him again." Sasuke mumbled softly, his eyes unwavering. His arms were wrapped around Naruto's wet naked form, his hands caressing the soft skin of Naruto's waist.

"What are you…" Naruto's sentence trailed and he closed his eyes as he realized what the other shinobi was talking about. "I was going to tell you."

"Hn."

He opened his eyes and attempted to glare at the cold expression but couldn't and said softly, "Sa'ke…are you mad at me again?"

"No," Sasuke said clearly but it was so utterly empty that Naruto found it worse than if he had said 'yes'. He brought his hands towards the broad chest of his husband and pushed, trying to escape his hold but Sasuke wouldn't let go.

His brows knitted together in something close to frustration, "Let go!"

"No," he mumbled, still cold and empty.

"Damn it, Sasuke, let go!" He pushed and struggled and if they weren't already wet, they would have been drenched. "Fuck, let go! Let go let go _**let go**_! Teme! I don't want-" Harsh fingers grasped Naruto's chin as his head was turned towards the side while struggling and those same harsh fingers pulled and forced him to face the pale face, "Shut up."

Cold lips crushed his and his breath was stolen and eaten away, leaving him breathless and sore. The kiss was harsh and cold and possessive. He delved his tongue into the moist cavern that was Naruto's mouth and devoured him, claiming him mercilessly. His struggles had stopped long ago as Sasuke engulfed him into a possessive embrace but then something shook within him and with a sudden zeal, Naruto pulled away, panting. His lips were bruised and bleeding for at one point Sasuke had managed to bite him.

"Sasuke…?" he mumbled a bit confused as he looked up into eyes that were red like blood.

"You've been talking too much," Sasuke mumbled, "and mostly about nothing of importance. Just talking shit."

"Sa'ke?" Naruto mumbled, his voice trembling as he stared at his love with something akin to fear.

"Sa'ke?" he called again when he received no answer, this time a bit more loudly and with more confidence.

"When did you see him again?"

"Couple of weeks before the wedding…" he mumbled and flinched as he saw those ruby eyes grow darker and his lips purse together into a fierce scowl.

"Sa'ke-"

"Why didn't you tell me?" Sasuke asked, his voice cracking in anger. His hold on Naruto tightened and Naruto pushed himself away with sudden strength. He created distance between them too and then suddenly turned his back towards his dark-haired husband.

"Get out…" he mumbled, as he wrapped his arms around his middle. He suddenly felt very tired and knew he could not deal with this at the moment.

"Go away," he repeated when Sasuke had not moved, "I'm tired and I don't want you yelling at me."

"I'm not yelling."

"You're going to if we continue talking."

"I promise not to yell."

"You're still going to be angry and start hissing and glaring."

"Despite popular belief, I'm not a snake. I don't hiss."

Naruto scoffed dryly but didn't say anything. He heard Sasuke move through the water and automatically tensed but then strong arms wrapped around him and despite himself, his posture relaxed and resolved almost crumbled.

"Sasuke, let-"

"I'm not angry at you."

"Don't lie to-"

"I'm not angry at you. I'm angry at him," Sasuke said as he rested his cheek against his shoulder. "I know he did something to you…I can feel it- how you're acting right now. And the fact that you won't tell me, worries me."

"Itachi, all he wants is Kyuubi, just like the rest of the Akatsuki," Naruto said without much conviction.

"What did he do, Naruto?" Sasuke asked or more like commanded.

"He…well he kissed me."

"He what!" Sasuke roared as he turned Naruto so he could face him. Naruto glared, "See! You're yelling!"

"He kissed you!"

"Yeah…"

"He kissed you!"

"Well it wasn't really a kiss. He just happened to put his lips against mine for a couple of seconds…"

"He kissed you!" Sasuke yelled while he stared at Naruto incredulously for attempting to call it something else.

"It's not that big of a deal-"

"Fucking hell it isn't! He kissed you!"

Naruto growled, "Yes, OK? he kissed me! We all get it Sasuke!"

"When were you planning on telling me?"

"I hadn't decided yet really…" Naruto growled, "But hey! While I'm taking a bath seemed like a great time to tell you!"

"You could have told me at any other point before this!"

"Well it wasn't like it was on my mind all the time! Believe it or not, I don't daydream about Itachi kissing me and sweeping me off my feet!"

"That's good," Sasuke said sarcastically. His hands were clenched into fist and he seemed about ready to actually punch something, preferably something close by or someone who he was related to.

Cool hands grabbed Sasuke's clenched ones and slowly the tension in them was eased. He brought their hands between them and sighed, "Sasuke…I love you and I always will no matter what you do or say or think. And I know right now you want to go and find Itachi and will probably have no trouble finding him. I don't think he's too far from here but if you're going to do it, do it because you hate him, because you want to avenge your clan but not because of me. Don't do it because he kissed me or whatever." He stood straight and stretched so as to give the brunet a small kiss and then pulled away.

He reached the side of the large bath and got out before reaching for the towel and wrapping it around him. "I'm all pruney…" he mumbled as he left the bathhouse, leaving Sasuke still in the now cold water.

* * *

"Look, Itachi. I get it you know? I know you wanted to find more information and we got it. He's vulnerable right now with the little tyke in him and we need to make a move before even more people learn that we're here!"

"No…we have to wait," Itachi said softly. They stood at the top of the Hokage Mountain, the air almost too cold to breathe but the place had started to grow on Itachi and it seemed like the only place he could truly think within the village.

"My brother knows by now but I doubt either him or Naruto-san will tell anyone just yet. Maybe in a month or two if they see me again but…"

"Itachi," Kisame growled almost menacingly, "You're on your own personal accord. You just want that little boy to fuck and-" Those cold harsh eyes landed on him and he found himself unable to breath.

"You're wrong," Itachi said, his voice unnaturally raspy.

"I do not want to fuck him as you say. But you are right when you say I am on my personal accord. I am not going to take him to the Leader…"

"What!" Kisame roared, "Then what the fuck are we going here?"

"I'm here waiting for my chance and you- you are here being an idiot. Staying here, listening to my orders as if I have the Akatsuki's order in mind still."

"You-"

"I'll kill you," Itachi said, "Just not right now. The Leader will sense your chakra dispersing and I don't want him sending anyone to investigate." Those harsh eyes held Kisame in place and not for the first time, Kisame was deathly afraid of the oldest Uchiha. "You should know better than to look me in the eyes Kisame. You make it all too easy…"

"Itachi, now think about this-"

"We have been partners for a while now and I have come to tolerate you. I will…lament your death."

"Itachi! You know me! I value my life more than this organiza-"

"Be quite," Itachi said and for a moment, it seemed like he had rolled his eyes.

"I'm not going to kill you just yet. You still have some usefulness in you." A smirk curled his lips, "Who knows, maybe I will not kill you in the end." He turned his back on Kisame and released the invisible binds that held the shark-like man.

"You can try to escape if you want," Itachi said as he looked down at the white village, "But if I manage to catch you, do know I will not be merciful."

"That boy has gotten into your head!" Kisame said and was a bit disappointed to hear his own voice shake

"I…don't doubt it."

Kisame shook his head almost sadly but he let out a scoff of disgust, "And if I believed in all that romance shit, I'd say he got into your heart; what's left of it anyway."

"Hmm…isn't that a foolish thought…" Itachi mumbled all the while contemplating just how foolish it could possibly be.

* * *

WOW!

Anyway, that's my chapter!

Anyway, I just wanted to comment on some reviews so as to clear up some things:

Well, last chapter in the scene with Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto, one reviewer mentioned it felt awkward and forced. Well, it was.

You guys have to remember that Sakura used to "love" Sasuke and although there was nothing between them, humans tend to hold onto things and be "possessive" of things although it may not belong to them. Sakura does care for Naruto but she feels in a way that he was responsible for Sasuke never loving her in return. Sakura has gotten shrewder and realizes this "dark" aspect of herself and went to the Uchiha Compound as a means of confronting it, of telling herself to "let go". It's hard to completely let go of your first love and even when you do, you still feel, in most cases, like they "belong" to you or with you. Naruto felt like Sakura was challenging him but he also knew that Sasuke was "his" and he wanted to tell that to Sakura, that he was not backing down, not even for her. They are still friends but not like when they were younger and when life was easier.

Sakura wasn't necessarily trying to ruin anything for them but she had to make sure for her own peace of mind you could say that she didn't give up on Sasuke when there might have been a chance for her and him.

Oh! Also, someone mentioned white in Japanese tradition. Yes, white is usually worn during funerals and such but it also represents purity as did black and can be used as a wedding dress in Japan. Usually their wedding kimonos called shiro-maku is full of color and designs but do remember that in a Japanese wedding there are different parts and to almost every part they wear a different kimono, one of theses kimonos happens to be white also. I was thinking of doing all that but at the last minute I changed my mind, too much work. –wink-

Remember, although Naruto is a Japanese anime, it doesn't take place in Japan and although they use some traditional Japanese themes, not everything is really "Japanese". That's why I didn't think much of it. But sorry if offended anyone, didn't mean to!

Keep commenting my lovely readers and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don't forget to review and please forgive all my mistakes and if you would gladly point them out to me, I'd be happy to change them!


	8. VIII It's These Dark Feelings

-**A Clan's Pride** -

**Summary:** "He can keep his heir and I will keep you…do we have a deal?" That voice was low and almost caring and he, for the first time, pitied him.

**Warnings:** Yaoi; Mpreg; Angst; Language; Sexual Situations;

**Disclaimer:** Let's keep it short and swift: don't own it.

**Beta/Helper:** None at the Moment!

**AN:** A lovely "thank you" and hug for SoSickOfNyQuil. Her review gave me an idea for a part in this chapter.

I reached 200 reviews! I'm so happy!

5 Weeks Pregnant- Sakura's Visit

6 Weeks Pregnant- Encounters Itachi in the dome

7 Weeks Pregnant

8 Weeks Pregnant

9 Week Pregnant- Wedding

11 Week Pregnant- Bought color for nursery (Wednesday)

11 Week Pregnant- Reorder of color (Thursday)

12 Week Pregnant- Notice of Party (Tuesday)

13 Week Pregnant- Party (Tuesday)

**The Stages:**

1st: Seal placed – End of 1st month (4th week)

2nd: 2nd month (fifth week) – End of 4th month (16th week)

3rd: 5th month (17h week) – End of 6th/7th month (24th week/28th week)

**

* * *

VIII. It's These Dark Feelings **

He didn't like it. Nope. He did _**not at all**_.

This was all Sasuke's fault. If he would have been just a little more patient, Naruto would have gotten a color that he actually liked. Not _plumbago_. I mean, it even had a stupid name. Plumbago, who the hell named it? It sounded like some type of plant that was fat and could eat a person hole.

But that was beside the point. The point was he did _**not**_ like this color. It had been an alright color in the story yesterday but today…today it was…icky…

He assumed it was the lighting in the store. Those people were mighty tricky.

Now, he just had to find a way of telling Sasuke that they had to pick another color. Emerald green was a nice enough color, much better than plumbago that was for sure. It was such a depressing color!

He, with a sigh, placed the top on the painting bucket and shoved it with his foot near the wall along with the other three buckets near the front door.

"Sasuke?" he called out as he walked through the house and towards his study. Recently it seemed like Sasuke was either in a mission or in his study. Naruto didn't want to admit it but he missed him, alot.

"Sasuke?" he called out as he knocked on the door.

"It's open," Sasuke said and without hesitation, Naruto opened the door and walked in.

"What's wrong?" Sasuke asked as he noticed Naruto small pout. Why did he feel like was he going to end up with a headache after this conversation?

"The paint was just delivered," Naruto answered slowly as he rubbed his stomach.

"And…?" Sasuke prompted as he searched for the message the Council had sent him yesterday. Damn them all to hell.

"Well, emerald light is nice and everything…"

"But?" Sasuke once again prompted with a sudden feeling of dread.

"Well it's that plumbago…I don't like it and I know our child won't-"

"How the hell do you know that? For all you know it'll become his favorite color!" Sasuke exclaimed. Yep, a headache.

Naruto pouted, "Please Sasuke? Let's pick another color!"

"Naruto, I'm busy. I have to find that stupid message from the Council about a meeting today and then I have to see the Hokage about some mission."

"You're leaving for a mission?" Naruto asked and his voice held disappointment in it.

Sasuke stopped his search for a moment before he continued, "Maybe, I'm not sure. Naruto, if you want to change the color then go ask one of your friends to accompany you, I don't want you going by yourself."

"They're your friends too-"

"They either hate me or think I'm a bastard who lucked out on you," Sasuke said harshly, "They only stand me because you ask them to."

"Sa-"

"The store closes in about thirty minutes. You should probably get going and make the call."

His cerulean eyes seemed to darken with a heavy emotion before he nodded curtly and left the room without a word.

He stopped what he was doing as he looked up just in time to see Naruto walk through the door. He felt his heart twist and jerk and guilt overwhelmed him.

His body slumped into his chair and a heavy sigh rattled his chest, "What the hell is wrong with me?" He mumbled as he ran a clammy hand through his dark hair. He frowned slightly at the locks still trapped between his fingers. He needed a haircut, badly. It was already reaching his shoulders and it reminded him of Itachi.

He growled slightly as he was reminded of his brother. Damn him, _damn him_. Why couldn't he just stay away, why couldn't he just die or fall into a bottomless ditch?

His hatred for the older Uchiha -and he resented the fact- had subsided. It hadn't subsided much, actually it barely did but the fact was it had subsided _at all_ tore at him. Even after learning of what he did to Naruto, that hatred did not return.

Yes, he wanted to kill Itachi for killing their clan and for even _thinking_ of touching _his _Naruto but at the same time, that hatred that had burned his heart and mind would not return. And he blamed Naruto for it. Blame however, was such a harsh word. No, it was better to say Naruto was responsible for it.

There were few people in this world that could love and live with Naruto daily and yet hold so much hatred and anger in their hearts as he once had. Naruto had that certain touch that seemed to purify one from the inside, slowly and without that person's knowledge until it was too late.

It was a disgustingly beautiful talent.

He had finally realized this after he stood in the cold bathwater for exactly one hour yesterday. He had gotten out of the cold water a minute after that hour and went upstairs and took a long, hot shower.

It was in that long shower that he realized why he felt so uneasy and why it almost seemed like he was distancing himself from Naruto.

It was because he _was_ distancing himself.

And even after that realization he still was. And he hurt Naruto. He had felt it during that pause when he had so bluntly dismissed him.

Naruto was as simple as a child yet almost too complicated to be fully understood by anyone. He was simple because he wanted only two things: love and attention. He was simple because he did not understand the reasoning between manipulation and hurtful lies. He did not try to be overly cunning and deceive people and was himself.

Sasuke himself could never be like that and he didn't want to be but he admired such characteristics in Naruto and it was one of the many reasons he loved him and yet…

He had hurt him.

He closed his eyes and leaned back against the chair, his thoughts no longer on the Council or the Hokage or his mission but on Naruto.

With a sudden thought, he stood and walked out of the room.

If the clock was correct, it has been twenty minutes and it had started to rain at some point in that short time.

* * *

"Naruto? Naruto!"

"Huh? Oh…yeah…" Naruto mumbled as he was called out of his thoughts.

"They're closing in about ten minutes…" Neji mumbled as he stood at a small distance from the blond.

The Hyuuga Compound was a five minute walk from the Uchiha's. Neji had been surprised when Naruto had appeared in the Hyuuga Compound asking for him to accompany him to the store but he felt Naruto's misery and knew the Uchiha had been behind this.

He had agreed to go which earned him a smile from the blond and along the way; he was filled in on the situation. He had to crack a small smile as Naruto explained it as only Naruto could all the while sounding like a small child.

"Well, I want orange but Sasuke…you know how he is!" Naruto pouted as he continued to look through the many colors.

"Yes Naruto, you've told me this already," Neji mumbled as he stared at one particular color that reminded him of someone. It was a dark red, but it was bright at the same time, bright enough for one to know it was red yet dark enough to be almost the color of blood.

"Yeah…what color do you like?" Naruto asked as he glanced towards the Hyuuga's direction.

"Hmm…that one," He said without too much hesitation as he pointed to the red color.

Naruto wrinkled his nose in a mulish manner, "I don't want red. It's too…too passionate and violent." He mumbled and Neji seemed startled at the statement.

"Attention, attention. The store will be closing in five minutes. Please bring your choices to our checkout. The store will be closing in five minutes, please bring your choices to our checkout."

"Naruto-"

"I heard," he mumbled as he continued to look through the colors.

"Neji, do you think he'll be terribly angry if I choose orange?"

"He'll get over it," Neji said, not truly caring if the Uchiha disliked the color or not. It was rare when he cared about the Uchiha at all.

He had accepted Naruto's choice, his choice to forgive and love the Uchiha. That didn't mean he thought the brunet deserved the blond and he would always remember the broken look Naruto had the day Neji saw him after Sasuke's betrayal.

He could never forgive him for causing such a look on the one person who…freed him.

"Neji? Were you listening to me?"

"Hmm? Sorry Naruto. What was it?"

"I said," Naruto said with a small frown, "That I'm going to pick orange but a nice soft orange. It looks a bit like when it's dusk outside, nee?"

"Yeah, it does," Neji mumbled at the indicated color.

"Ok! So it's decided, orange it is!" He grabbed the sample and then walked towards the checkout but a hand grabbed his arm and he stopped.

"What?" he asked towards Neji who had stopped him, "Didn't you hear? We had like five minutes and now we only have maybe two-"

"Naruto, what did he do?"

"Huh? What are you-"

"Naruto, you were upset when you got to the Hyuuga compound and you still are; what did the Uchiha do?"

Naruto frowned, "Nothing. And remember I'm an Uchiha too so don't say the name so harshly. My child is going to be an Uchiha as well…"

Neji pale eyes bore into Naruto's blue ones before he said almost roughly, "This love you have for him will be your undoing. It's almost like a disease."

"My love for him is no fucking disease!"

"Please, you're willing to risk your own life for him, just so his dream doesn't die, and you take everything he says and does and hold it next to your heart. You even risked this vill-"

"Shut up! Don't you dare, Neji, don't you dare say another word! If I knew you were going to- to act like this- I- I-" Those tears fell and Neji felt something akin to guilt and he sighed as he pulled Naruto into an embrace.

"I'm sorry, Naruto. Not for what I said- but for saying it," He mumbled as Naruto leaned against his chest and soaked his shirt with his tears.

"You're mean, Neji!" Naruto said with a small sob and Neji felt another pang of guilt. He knew Naruto's reaction had more to do with his hormones than anything else for the boy rarely cried, yelling at the top of his lungs at any injustice was a much more common practice.

"Naruto…stop this," Neji said, "The store is going to close and then you're not going to be able to buy the paint and its closed tomorrow."

It seemed that the comment had the desired affect because Naruto pulled away from the embrace and with a couple of small sniffs, wiped away his tears with the back of his hand.

The lady at the checkout seemed almost annoyed with their delay but said nothing as Naruto simply told her to put the charge on the Uchiha account.

As they walked towards the exist, Naruto remembered something and said with a small cheeky grin, "Nee, Neji…"

"What?" Neji asked as he glanced at his direction.

"Have you spoken to Gaara lately?"

"Gaara? As in the Kazekage?"

"Yepyep…"

"Not since he visited half a year ago…why?" Neji asked with sudden suspicion.

"I was just wondering…you guys looked awfully friendly last time he visited…" Naruto said casually with a foxy grin.

"Are you implying that the Kazekage and I were-?"

"I'm not saying anything. I'm just saying that you two looked like you were having fun talking and…_staring_ at each other."

"We-" Neji tried to speak, his eyes slightly wide and his usual cool expression replaced by one that could almost be called embarrassed.

"Naruto," a voice called out just as they walked out of the store. Harsh weather met them as they stood under the shelter that the front of the store held above their heads.

Whatever Neji was about to say was forgotten for there stood Sasuke in front of them with an umbrella under the pouring rain. The temperature in Konoha had risen although not by much but enough for there to be rain instead of snow. The wind as harsh and the rain felt like ice on skin.

"Sasuke!" Naruto said with childish joy as he ran from under the small shelter and through the cold rain towards Sasuke. He wrapped his arms around the brunet and his smile seemed to widen at the fact that the brunet was real.

"Sa'ke!" he called again as he leaned his head against the brunet's strong chest and his wet locks and clothes in return soaked Sasuke.

"You're getting me wet, dobe," Sasuke said gruffly but his free hand went around the smaller boy's waist and he his eyes softened.

"Weren't you too busy-?"

"You should know by now that I am never too busy for you," Sasuke said with a small frown, "And you forgot an umbrella. I didn't want you to get wet while walking home."

"You're so sweet Sa'ke," Naruto said with a teasing grin.

"Hn."

Naruto turned around towards Neji. He grinned and winked almost mockingly, "Bye Neji-kun! Oh! Gaara is supposedly having a meeting with the Hokage soon…" Naruto let his voice trail before turning away, missing the startled expression that crossed Neji's features.

"Come on, Sa'ke! It's cold."

"How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that ridiculous name?" Sasuke said as they started walking home.

"Why should I? You call me all those mean names!"

"At least they fit, Sa'ke? Where the hell did you get that one from?" he asked with a small scowl but his voice was soft and almost amused.

"Well, I still call you teme, nee?"

"Hn," Sasuke mumbled, not bothering to answer.

"Oh, Sasuke! I got a color! Look." Naruto mumbled as he pulled out the example sheet from his pocket and showed it to the brunet.

"Orange?"

"Well, it's not as bright as the one I wanted but it's still a nice color!" Naruto said, "Please Sa'ke!"

"Hm, whatever," Sasuke finally mumbled. It wasn't that bad of a color. At least it wasn't going to be _their_ room.

They continued to walk in silence; the only noise was the rain and their almost silent footsteps.

Somehow though, words were not needed and that silent hurt that had been eating at him was gone, replaced by that warm feeling that only Sasuke could create.

* * *

He was beginning to show. He was slightly round with a small almost unnoticeable plump if he wore baggy enough shirts.

It was Tuesday, last Thursday they had ordered the final paints and it seemed like everything was going…well.

He was still in the second stage and although he had almost the same amount of energy as he did before the whole seal was placed, he was not as strong, and he slept much more than he usually did. He ate much more than usually too. **A lot** more.

His usually weekly meetings with Tsunade were always on Saturday during the afternoon. The Hokage, for her part seemed a bit surprised how _uncomplicated_ the pregnancy was going.

"_Perhaps this is Kyuubi's doing," she mumbled as she removed her gloves and threw them into the wastebasket._

"_He has been a bit tired lately…he's been sleeping a lot more than usual."_

"_Really?"_

"_Yeah…"_

"_Perhaps, perhaps," the Hokage mumbled as she scribbled something down in her notes. _

The news that it seemed like the Kyuubi was actually _helping_ him seemed to cause suspicion within Sasuke and reluctant gratitude. It had been an amusing sight.

* * *

"Sasuke!" Naruto exclaimed as he neared Sasuke's study.

He was about to shout once more when he heard voices, unfamiliar ones. He stood in front of the door, his ear almost touching the hard wood.

"You've been refusing to see us for too long-"

"Look," it was Sasuke, "I know what you want to ask me, well _**order**_ me to do. And the answer is no. Naruto will continue to be my spouse and our child will have my name. This discussion is over. Now, if you would kindly remove yourself from my property, I would appreciate it greatly," Sasuke said with such coldness and indifference that Naruto almost flinched.

"Such insol-"

Tired of listening to them and feeling out of place in his own house, he opened the door, cutting off whatever the female voice was about to say.

He titled his head slightly and grinned mockingly, "Sasuke, nee! Guess what- oh…hello. What are you three doing here?" he said with such a fake innocent look that Sasuke felt his lips twitch.

"They're just leaving, these Council members are very busy," Sasuke said with a wave of his hand in a form of dismissal as he rolled his eyes.

The only female pursed her lips in annoyance, "We are not finished."

"But I believe you are, baa-chan," Naruto mumbled, his head still titled and with a sudden look that reminded them vaguely of someone.

"If my husband has asked you to leave, you will do as my Lord wishes. You will not defy him within our house. I will not let you."

And then it hit them, this…this vessel reminded them of the late Lady Uchiha.

Sasuke stared at Naruto with something akin to shock before a smirk curled his thin lips, "You heard my spouse."

"I would escort you out but I have to speak with my husband about something very important," Naruto said as he smiled coldly at them. His stare seemed to unnerve them.

It was only when he was sure they were out of their house did Naruto's posture relax and he grinned naturally.

"Sasuke, Sasuke! Guess what came in the mail!" He walked towards the brunette.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow in question, "What?"

"Sakura-chan is throwing a party! Everyone is going! Come on, we got to reply back that we're going! And it's great because it's on the day after Gaara comes!" He jumped from foot to foot with childish joy and it seemed like the incident that had happened a moment ago was forgotten.

"…Gaara is coming?" Sasuke said with a certain tone of voice.

"Yepyep!" Naruto said but his good mood was put on hold as he noticed Sasuke's odd look.

"What's wrong?"

"You know I don't like that damn lunatic…"

"You're so mean!" Naruto said, "Gaara is- well he isn't necessarily _nice_ but he's a…he's a good person! So there! Besides," a grin began to form, "I think Neji likes him…"

"The Hyuuga? Are you serious?" Sasuke said with a look that spoke his disbelief.

"Hmmm…didn't you notice those looks they were throwing each other? And then there's that fact that they barely spoke to anyone but each other!"

"…I don't make it a habit of watching other people's staring contest. And seeing as I dislike both of them, I don't really pay attention to who they speak to. Them liking it each other…I would never have guessed it…"

"Why?"

"Hmmm…Hyuuga doesn't seem like the masochistic type…but then again, to be with a sadist like Gaara-"

"You perverted bastard!" Naruto said as a blush colored his cheek, "Neji isn't like that! Neither is Gaara! Geez…I think they would be cute togther…"

"Cute is not the word," Sasuke said with a small twitch.

"You have no taste," Naruto said with a small pout.

"You're right. I married you didn't I?"

"Yeah…hey…wait! Was that an insult?"

Sasuke grunted as he shuffled through some papers, one of them actually being crushed and thrown into the wastebasket.

"You're so mean!" Naruto said, his lips quivering as he rubbed his slightly plumped stomach.

"Naruto…" Sasuke said with a sigh, "Stop it…"

A sniffle.

"Naruto…" Sasuke said with a tone similar to a warning but slightly more desperate.

Sob.

"I wasn't insulting you, ok? Geez, calm down," Sasuke said as he walked over towards Naruto and wrapped his arms around the blond.

"Shush…I'm sorry ok? I'm sorry."

"You-you're just saying that because you- you don't want me crying!" Naruto almost wailed as he continued to sniffle and sob softly.

"No- No…I'm just sorry I said something so mean…" Sasuke said in an even tone. This was…_troublesome_.

Sniff, "Yeah- right, you asshole…" Naruto said as he pulled away from the brunet. He shook his head slightly as he brushed away the remaining tears with the back of his hand.

"But that doesn't matter, because I knew you were an asshole and I still married you," he glared, "stupid teme."

He rolled his eyes, "Dobe…," he mumbled before shaking his head and giving the blond an even gaze, "What was that about Naruto? With the Council?"

"Hmm? Nothing," Naruto said as he continued to whip at his eyes.

"My Lord?" Sasuke said with a small chuckle.

"Oh, shut up. I've been taking those stupid lessons with Iruka. Baa-chan says I have to if I wanna be a good Uchiha," Naruto snorted, "You're family is so weird and complicated."

"Most likely," Sasuke said as he continued to smirk, "But really? Never thought the day would come when you would play the nice little wife so well."

"Shuddup!" Naruto growled as he gritted his teeth, "I am not your little bitch! I'm just trying to do well is all!"

"Hm."

Naruto rolled his eyes, "Teme…look! Are we going or not?"

"Whatever," he mumbled before a sudden thought struck him, "Is Sai going?"

"Most likely…" Naruto said slowly and a bit lowly. He knew the two of them did NOT get along. Sasuke did not like anyone, much less a pervert like Sai, making sexual comments about _**his**_ dobe.

"That stupid, perverted-" "You're one to talk. You're just as perverted as Sai. You just happen to be a closet pervert is all."

"You're always defending him." Sasuke said with a scowl as he walked towards his desk and returned to his previous activities of looking through the papers.

"He's my friend, teme!" Naruto said with a roll of his eyes, "Stop being an ass. Are we going or not?"

"I don't want to go."

"Oh come on!"

"You can go, you know. I'm not your keeper," Sasuke said as he continued to tidy up his study. Where the hell all these papers were coming from, he had no fucking idea.

"Sa'ke…please! I haven't seen any of these guys since the wedding, everyone's been so busy! Please come!" Naruto said as he waved his arms as if he was trying to fly away.

"Stop acting like a little kid, Naruto."

"I'm not acting like a kid!" Naruto whined as he stomped his foot.

"Oh, real mature," Sasuke said sarcastically.

He felt arms wrap around him and a body press against his side, "Please! Please, please, please, please! Please, please, please, plea-"

"Oh fuck it Naruto! Maybe, ok? Now shut up!" Sasuke said. Where were those aspirins again?

"Yay!" Naruto squealed and Sasuke couldn't help but smile at his spouse's joy.

"Hmm…What am I going to wear...nee, Sasuke! I have to go shopping soon! Some of my clothes don't fit me anymore."

"That's because you're getting fat," Sasuke said as he walked towards the door. Screw tidying up, he was looking for an aspirin.

There was a noise like someone chocking on something before he felt something hit his head. It did not help his headache.

"You jackass!" he heard Naruto scream right before he felt something hit his head again. He turned around in time to see the book flying towards him. He caught it before it could leave its imprint on his face.

"You idiot! Are those my books you're throwing at me?" Sasuke growled as he looked down at the two books on the floor and the book in his hand.

"You have some nerve to call me fat! I'm not fat, teme! I'm pregnant!"

"Being pregnant makes you fat ergo you're getting fat."

"Why you little-" Naruto mumbled as he glared, "You're so mean! How can you be so- so insensitive!"

Sasuke kept quite, not sure whether to go and pat Naruto on the back or hit him over the head.

'_Here comes the waterworks'_ he mused mentally, already feeling that same old guilt. He walked towards his small husband and wrapped a strong arm around his waist.

"Naruto..." he mumbled as Naruto pressed his face against his chest. He had expected the boy to push and shove him away.

"You're so mean to me," Naruto mumbled softly with a hint of sadness in it. He didn't cry and his eyes, they burned just a little. Only a little bit.

"I'm sorry…I just- I have a headache. Don't cry…" he mumbled as he placed a kiss on top of the shorter boy's head.

"I'm not crying…" Naruto said just as softly as before, "I'm just resting my head against your chest."

"Hn," Sasuke grunted as he placed another kiss on his head, "Are you tired?"

"No," Naruto said.

"You sure? You woke up rather early today. Earlier than usual anyway." Sasuke mumbled.

"My stomach hurt a bit…"

"It did?" Sasuke said with a certain tone of voice. This was the first time he heard about this.

"It's nothing. Just a little stomach ache," Naruto said as he pushed away from Sasuke's chest. He looked up at his tall husband and smiled, "Please Sasuke? Take me to the party…"

Sasuke felt a sigh leave him, "Fine. I'll go…what time does it start?"

"Seven…"

"Hmmm…alright…"

"Yay!" Naruto squealed as he wrapped his arms around Sasuke's neck, "Oh thank you!"

"Hn," Sasuke grunted as he placed a small kiss on his lips. Naruto pulled away before it could become anything but a simple, chaste kiss.

"Hmm…my stomach is hurting again…" he said as stared at Sasuke's chest.

"Let's go." Sasuke said with a small frown as he pulled the smaller boy towards the door.

"Wait- what! Hold on, where are we going?"

"To see that old hag…"

"No! Damn it, Sasuke, I'm fine!"

"You're stomach is hurting, stupid! You're pregnant!" Sasuke said with a dark scowl as he put on his coat and then proceeded to dress the blond. "Obviously there's something wrong."

"No…not obviously! There might be nothing wrong!"

"And there might be something wrong," Sasuke retorted. They were already out of the house, the air cold and hard to breathe in but they managed.

"You're such a-"

"Damn it, must you make everything so difficult?"

"Wel-"

They continued their argument all the way to the Hokage's, both ignoring the silent dark presence that followed them.

They knew who it was and they ignored it but never forgot about it.

* * *

"Just a little more time…" he mumbled as he followed the couple.

It amused him more than anything how they continued their little banter all the while ignoring his presence and heading towards the Hokage.

Like they didn't know he was here. He wasn't really even trying to hide.

They were half way to Hokage's tower when he stopped following them. He noticed how Naruto seemed to relax despite his flushed face and flying arms and hands as he continued to scream at his little brother.

It was not long before they were simply small figures at a distance.

"Hn…so this is where you've been, huh?"

"It's good to see you haven't run away, Kisame," he said coolly, as he glanced towards his partner in time to catch his flinch.

He smirked, "Do you wish to know what I am planning?"

Kisame grunted and shrugged in a show of indifference although his curiosity was peaked.

"Because I know you rather well, I think I can assume correctly that you wish to know. Well…you see…Naruto is a little over a month away from the third stage of his pregnancy. Although he is doing rather well with the seal, it is still affecting him and it will affect him much more later on. I expect the fifth and sixth month to be hard on him and extremely dangerous for the child. I will take him before that…in a week or more…I'll take him and in front of them all."

"And how are you going to do that? You're good but I doubt you're good enough to go against everyone who loves that little brat. He's mighty popular here…if you ignore the rest of the village."

"Oh…do not worry about such a trivial thing. I have it all planned. I'm going to take little Naruto-san from my brother and his friends and I'm going to keep him."

"What are you going to do about the little brat's brat?" a smirk curled his lips and his mouth opened slightly to reveal sharp teeth, "You gunna be a daddy?"

"Don't be ridiculous…" Itachi said with a small frown as he pushed a strand of his hair out of his face, "But it is a key part in my plans. Naruto-san is so predicable…he will do anything for his loved ones…especially for this child."

"You're going to use it against him? Damn that's cold."

He shrugged nonchalantly, "I care very little about your opinion. I am simply having Naruto choose. I think I'm being rather generous."

"You seem awfully sure that everything will go according to plan," Kisame said slowly. He hoped the Uchiha would continue to speak for the more he spoke, the more he himself knew and he might just be able to use that against the oldest Uchiha.

He saw the boy tilt his head to the side in an almost childish way, "Because it will be a promise."

That was the last thing the Uchiha said to him that day.

* * *

Oh! I'm sooooo sorry for the late update. -sigh- I was actually planning on updating this as a special gift because I reached 200 reviews but then the weeks went by and I'm like…geez…not much of a gift anymore. And then I have my term paper to worry about! -sigh-…ohhh how I am suffering in that class! -crying-

But anyway...I hope you guys have liked it! I've given you clues to what Itachi is planning and I think I've made it quite obvious!

Also, I've changed the summary to the story because well…the old summary is kinda…well old…

Also, I know some parts were a little boring but…meh…bear with me!

**Next Chapter:** The get-together party, some NejiGaara and the other minor pairings, also some SasuNaru and baby movement squeal and…uhhhhh…oh yeah! grin Finally, Itachi proceeds with his plan! MUAH HA HA HEEE HAH HAHH choke croke heee

Don't forget to REVIEW! AND TELL ME IF SOMETHING IS MISSPELLED! I'll change it as soon as possible!


	9. IX Our Precious People

-**A Clan's Pride** -

**Summary:** "He can keep his heir and I will keep you…do we have a deal?" That voice was low and almost caring and he, for the first time, pitied him.

**Warnings:** Yaoi; Mpreg; Angst; Language; Sexual Situations;

**Disclaimer:** Let's keep it short and swift: don't own it..

**Beta/Helper:** None at the Moment!!

**AN:** OHHHH AM I GOING TO HAVE FUN WITH THIS CHAPTER! –grins-. Anyway, for all of you who, like me love Itachi, do not fret. Although I'm not planning on giving him Naruto in the end, he will be with someone and if I ever do a sequel I'll make sure to include the pairing…oh! MAKE SURE TO READ ENDING NOTE!

I reached 200 reviews! I'm so happy!!

5 Weeks Pregnant- Sakura's Visit

6 Weeks Pregnant- Encounters Itachi in the dome

7 Weeks Pregnant

8 Weeks Pregnant

9 Week Pregnant- Wedding

--

11 Week Pregnant- Bought color for nursery (Wednesday)

11 Week Pregnant- Reorder of color (Thursday)

12 Week Pregnant- Notice of Party (Tuesday)

13 Week Pregnant- Party (Tuesday)

**The Stages:**

1st: Seal placed – End of 1st month (4th week)

2nd: 2nd month (5th week) – End of 4th month (16th week)

3rd: 5th month (17h week) – End of 6th/7th month (24th week/28th week)

**IX. Our Precious People**

He was not sure how long he had been awake. It had been an almost gradual thing. He did not remember opening his eyes or his mind wondering somewhere distant. But it was with a jolt that he realized he had been daydreaming.

He had been thinking about his friends. They had not seen each other since the wedding which had been three weeks ago. He had not even seen a glimpse or a blur of them for three weeks. Konoha, although not a city, was no small village but that didn't mean anything really. All of them lived in running distance, especially the Hyuuga compound. Ok, so he had seen Neji the other day…but still!

He sighed as he got out of bed sluggishly, feeling a sudden dread. His gaze traveled towards the only window in their room and with a sudden zeal, he walked towards the window and shut the drapes. He didn't know why he did it but the sudden dread seemed to bleed out of him and left him comfortably numb.

The party was in two days. Winter was beginning to wane and very soon, the first buds of spring would begin to bloom. Their child would be born in the summer, around June. For some reason, it felt like it was so far away…

"Naruto?" he heard a voice call out to him and as he turned his gaze to where the voice came from, it shocked him to realize that Sasuke was four feet away from him.

The brunet frowned, "Are you alright?"

"Huh? Oh…yeah…just thinking," Naruto mumbled as he rubbed his stomach absently. He felt something flutter in his stomach and shrugged it off as him being nervous.

"-go."

"Huh?" he asked again as he blinked.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes critically, "Are you sure you're ok?"

"I'm fine. I guess I'm still sleepy…"

"Hm…I was saying that we need to get going."

"To where?"

"It's Saturday dobe."

"Oh…yeah…ok," Naruto said as he walked towards the wardrobe, deciding to take a shower after he returned from the Hokage. He ignored the stare that burned his back as he changed into one of his new clothes. His stomach fluttered.

"Naru-" Sasuke began but stopped short when he noticed Naruto sway.

"Sasuke…I think I'm g'nna pass out…" Naruto said as he leaned against the wall near the closet. He felt his stomach flutter once more before everything went dark.

* * *

He heard murmuring. It sounds as if someone was speaking with cotton over their mouths. He shifted slightly, realizing at that moment that he was on something soft and warm. A bed no doubt. He opened his eyes slowly, the room dark and cold.

"Naruto? Can you hear me?" someone whispered beside him. He shifted his vision towards his left. It was Tsunade.

"Ba-" his throat constricted and nothing else escaped his mouth but a dry, loud cough. He couldn't stop it, it continued to escape his throat, his chest hurt and felt tight. He sat up, trying to get some air down but he couldn't.

It hurt.

He opened his eyes, when had he closed them he did not know, and his sapphire eyes widen as he noticed his fingers and hands dyed red.

"Baa-chan!" he gasped out as he continued to hack and cough, "Blood! Blood!"

He felt hands push him down before those uncomfortably warm hands moved down to his abdomen and chest. He continued to cough and felt something metallic collect on the back of his throat, making it even harder to breath. He felt like he was drowning.

He swallowed the copper tasking liquid and suddenly, he stopped coughing. The warm hands on his cold, clammy front felt prickly and made him want to fidget.

"Don't move," snapped the Hokage. He closed his eyes as he felt his stomach flutter once more. The hands retracted and he heard the Hokage move away from the bed. He kept his eyes closed as he heard a door being open but they snapped open when he heard his voice.

"Naruto?" he looked towards the side to where the door Tsunade had opened was located and saw Sasuke. "Sasuke…wha- what happened?"

"You passed out," he drawled as he walked towards the blonde in slow steps.

"I did? Oh yeah…I did," Naruto mumbled as he sat back up and leaned against the headboard. He felt something wet on his face and when he whipped it away, he was dazedly surprised to see it was blood. "What happened to me?"

"You passed out and I had the Hokage summoned," he explained as he sat down next to the blonde, "She checked you out and found out that the little tyke was moving around. The seal takes your chakra and envelops him in a protective sac. When he started moving, he was stretching the chakra sac which caused a chain reaction and…" he trailed off and sighed as he noticed Naruto's blank look. Of course the idiot wasn't really paying attention, "Look, you lost control of your chakra and it was shredding your inside, there."

He ran a hand through his long hair as he eyed his spouse worriedly, "Narut-"

"I'm fine," Naruto cut in. He felt something tighten around his heart at the look the brunet was giving him but continued on. "I'm fine. Seeing as Baa-chan isn't here, I'm guessing I'm in the clear right?"

"Yes but-"

"But what? I'm fine Sasuke. You don't have to worry-"

"Damn it Naruto! Don't you fucking get it!? You inside was being shredded because of-"

"Your child? Yeah, I get it. And unlike you, instead of blaming him and thinking negatively, I'm thinking on the bright side!"

"What fucking bright side?! You were out for five fucking hours in which time Kyuubi was in overdrive healing you and so was the old bat! Damn it! Don't you understand? You were dying!"

"The bright side that he moved, that he's alive and- and healthy and-" he broke his own sentence as a sob shook him and he buried his head into his hands. "He's fine and I'm fine!"

He felt arms wrap around him and he was pulled against a warm chest. "Stop it Naruto…please stop it…"

"You're being a jerk."

"You're being stupid!"

"Why?" Naruto asked as he pulled away from the comforting embrace, "Because I'm not giving you a reason to abort? Well too bad! We can't, it's too late for that."

"I can't believe you," he growled out, "How's it possible for you to be so idiotic!"

"Where's Tsunade?"

"She left, after five hours of treating you, I'd be exhausted too," he said with a glare, "Stop changing the subject."

"There's nothing to talk about! I'm guessing I'm stable and it's not going to happen again right?"

"Why would you think that?"

"Because Tsunade would still be here and I would have awoken up with a flat stomach. I know you enough to know you'd push for an emergency abortion."

"You can't abort after a month dobe."

"-although the scroll pointed out if the child dies then technically you can do an abortion after a month."

"You'd think Tsunade would actually give you something to kill the-"

"Yeah, I would, with your full support no doubt," he said as he leaned back down and pulled the covers over him.

Sasuke scowled, "You act as if it's not my child or as if I did not love him."

"Do you?"

"Of course! But I don't love something that is merely cells and chakra more then I love you!"

"Well thank God you don't have to make that choice, jackass!" Naruto snapped from underneath the covers. Why couldn't they understand?

"At least I'm not a moron!"

"Bastard!"

"dimwit!"

"Get out!" Naruto screamed all the while tightening his hold on the covers and pulling them closer to himself. He just wanted to disappear or hid under a rock. Yeah…a rock sounded a nice place to be right about now.

"This is my room too!"

"The fuck I care! I don't want you here! Get out! Get out, get out, get out!"

"You want me gone? Fine you litt-" He opened the window and jumped outside, his sentence left unfinished as he left the Uchiha Compound and headed towards the Hyuuga compound.

He wasn't angry enough to have Naruto stay by himself. He was angry enough to go towards Hokage's tower and ask for a mission, however; week long mission perhaps.

* * *

"I'm not giving you a mission, Uchiha."

"May I know why?"

"Maybe because I want to make you miserable, because they are no missions that need an ANBU captain at the moment, or because your spouse almost died? Pick whichever you like," she drawled out sarcastically as she continued to write.

"I-"

"Just go back home and have sex with him. Forget your woes and make him forget whatever is bothering him. Then when you two are all tired and sweaty, take a shower together and then go to sleep," she snapped as she brought her gaze from her work to gaze rather coldly towards the shinobi.

"He's fine. He's not going to have another of those. The tyke hadn't moved before today and if he had, not to this extent. His chakra is calm now and the sac has expanded."

"How can you just be fine-"

"-Because no matter what I think or feel, Naruto is still going to keep the child. Unless you're thinking of adding some rather suspicious extra ingredients to his lunch and breakfast, are you Uchiha?"

"Are you asking me if I'm going to poison Naruto and my child?" he asked with a growing sneer and hateful look.

"Of course not. Even I will admit that you love Naruto. I'm asking you if you want to poison the child?"

"To poison him, I'd have to poison Naruto-"

"Not necessarily. A fetus is much easier to kill than-"

"I'm not planning on poisoning my own child!" Sasuke roared, "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"Well, you're the one who wanted Naruto to abort the child in the first place…"

"Because this could kill him!"

"Don't be such a hypocrite!" she sneered, "Abortion and poisoning, about the same thing but one is a medical term."

He did not say anything, he stood rigid, his eyes cold and distant with a hint of something unsettling, something too close to insanity. She felt a shiver run through her as she was reminded of her old teammate.

_Orochimaru_…

"I love him," he said so softly it sounded like a long sigh, "That's all that really matters now. He wants this child I think more than I ever wanted. That's all that matters…but-"

She restrained herself from rolling her eyes _'Knew he couldn't be that…good…'_

"-you…if it ever comes down to a choice between the two, you must promise me you will choose Naruto. I don't care what he tells you or what he wants…just give me this one assurance…"

She clicked her tongue against her teeth, "I can't promise you that I'll save him, Uchiha. But I've give you the assurance that he will be the first I try to save and the one I will choose if there are…complications."

"Hn."

"You're welcome," she said with a unlady-like snort.

"Go home and have sex with your spouse," she repeated with a wave of her hand. She returned to her writing, not looking up until the Uchiha had left her office.

She felt her eyes sting and was not surprised to note that she was about to cry. She had been holding it in since the Uchiha had summoned her to their house. She had thought for more than a single moment that she had lost him…her 'son'.

* * *

"You can leave now Hyuuga," Sasuke said as he passed the boy who sat on the ground outside their bedroom, his back against the wall, meditating. He opened the door to their room and closed it behind him without uttering another word to Neji or giving him time to say anything in return.

"Are you sleeping?" he asked calmly as he walked towards their bed.

"Yes," was mumbled from underneath the covers and he scoffed sardonically.

"Really?" he asked as he sat down on their bed. He grabbed the top of the covers and with one yank, Naruto was revealed to him. "You don't seem to be…"

Sapphire eyes glared at him heatedly. "Well I was!" he snapped.

"Hn."

Naruto continued to glare at his husband until he realized that his glare was having no affect on him and then he sighed. "You left," he accused flatly.

"You told me to get out. Repeatedly," Sasuke reminded him dryly.

"Yeah, well I was mad. Besides, you were gone for three hours. It's dark outside! Geez," he murmured as he titled his head to the opposite side of where Sasuke was sitting.

"I needed to think."

"You went to Baa-chan to ask for a mission," Naruto said with a frown, "You didn't need to think. You wanted to get away from me."

"I needed to think," Sasuke repeated as he grabbed Naruto's chin and turned his head so as to face him.

"I needed to think," he mumbled once more before he leaned down and pressed his lips against the blonde's lips.

"Sa'ke?" he mumbled as those lips left his own and traveled down jaw and neck.

"Hmm?"

"What'cha goin'?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

"Are you serious!? You actually want to have sex?!"

"I'd lower your voice. I'm not sure if Hyuuga is still outside or not," he said calmly. He felt Naruto squirm underneath his traveling hands and heard the small squeak after he finished his sentence.

Naruto brought his hands up towards Sasuke's chest and pushed, "Stop, stop, stop! He might still be here!"

"Not our problem," he mumbled as he grabbed Naruto's hands and held them over his head.

"Sa-"

"Just shut up," he mumbled without any malice before silencing him with a crushing kiss.

* * *

She smiled at them, her eyes shining. "I'm glad you guys could make it," she said as she opened the door wider for them.

Naruto grinned at her naturally, his hand rubbing his round stomach absently while Sasuke stood there next to the blonde, his arm swung around Naruto's waist possessively. He grunted an acknowledgement while Naruto cheered ever pleasantly, "Sakura-chan!"

They walked inside Sakura's room and were led towards the living room where friends of theirs were scattered about, some outside on the property behind Sakura's cozy house.

"Naruto! Long time no see! Where the fuck have you been?" roared a voice from the side. It was Kiba.

"At home. Why don't you ever visit?"

"Unlike you, I got things to do. I didn't get "maternity leave" with payment. Geez, like you need the damn money…" he growled with a grin and mischievous eyes.

"I'm not on maternity leave you asshole! I'm not a woman!" Naruto said as he escaped Sasuke's hold and walked –more like stomped- towards his friend.

"Could have fooled me with that stomach. You're getting fat."

"Fat!?" he shrieked, "I'm pregnant dog breath!"

"Yeah, I can tell," Kiba said as he stuck his pinky into his ear with a mocking grin, "You shriek like one, a woman I mean."

"I- why you little, come here! I'll show you-" Naruto yelled as he started to chase after the dog boy but was stopped by Shikarmaru.

"Calm down Naruto. He's just messing with you because he doesn't get any," he mumbled as he rested his head against his hand. He yawned despite the music in the background and the fact that he had taken a three hour nap before he arrived there.

Kiba stared at the lazy shinobi all the while stuttering for an answer but his gaze went back towards Naruto was snickering behind his hand, "Nee…I understand. I don't really have to worry about sexual frustration. When was the last time you-"

"Shut up!" Kiba screamed as he made a grab for the blonde who shifted away from Kiba and made his way towards Sasuke and then promptly placed his spouse between Kiba and him.

"Oh real nice! Have the Uchiha fight your battles!" Kiba said as he glared at Naruto who merely grinned back cheekily, "Well he is my husband. What good would he be if he can't protect me?"

Sasuke scoffed, "Good to know I'm so highly valued."

Naruto snickered, his gaze moving from Kiba to Sakura who stood next to Sasuke. He guessed they were talking before Kiba and him interrupted them. "Sakura, I'm thirsty!"

She rolled her eyes and said with a small grin, "And? Don't you see the drinks and snacks over there? Go get them."

"But I'm tired of walking," he whined as he leaned against Sasuke's back, his arms wrapped around the brunet's waist from behind.

Sakura opened her mouth to retort no doubt when a loud, echoing knock was heard. She rolled her eyes as she turned and left the living room so as to get the door.

Naruto continued to bicker with Kiba even as Sasuke moved him towards the nearest couch. Even when he was given food and a drink which Sasuke made sure had no alcohol he continued to scream and yell at the other shinobi about only God knows what.

Those who had been chatting away in a corner or dancing to the beat of the music had stopped if only for a minute to look over towards the two noisy boys.

They were use to Naruto complete lack of vocal restraint but when Kiba joined in on the yelling, it was something akin to watching two monkeys going at it. How two people could be so loud was just…annoying if not slightly awe-inspiring.

Sasuke sighed heavily as he rubbed his temples, "Nar-"

"Uzumaki, must you be so loud?" Naruto stopped in mid-shout as he turned around and faced who called him. It was Gaara. With Neji.

He squealed childishly as he jumped from the couch and practically flew across the room and attached himself to the Sand shinobi as if he was a fungus.

"Gaara! You're here!"

"Hn, duly noted. Now if you could let go of me Uzumaki, I like being able to breathe," Gaara mumbled with a suspicious twitch of his lips.

"Oh! Sorry!" Naruto said as he let go of the red-haired boy, "But yeah! I got great news!"

"Really?" Gaara said as he glanced down towards Naruto's round stomach, "Do tell."

"Well, I'm pregnant!"

"Really? Hadn't noticed, Uzumaki."

"-And," Naruto continued with a spilting grin, "You'll have to call me Naruto from now on 'cus I'm not Uzumaki anymore…technically anyway!"

"Hmm?" Gaara mumbled as he glanced towards the silent dark-haired Uchiha, "You married Uzumaki?"

"Yeah, I know. What was I thinking," Sasuke said dryly as he dug his hands into his pockets. _'Hyuuga, Gaara and Sai…gee, what fun'_

It wasn't that he hated them really…no he just…he didn't like them anywhere near Naruto or himself for that matter. And it wasn't like he was at fault; the feelings between them were all mutual. They didn't like him and they especially did not like the fact that he was with Naruto; although they tended to hide their contempt for their relationship while Naruto was around…if only a little.

…But if what Naruto said was true and by the looks the Hyuuga was throwing the Kazekage it was, then he wouldn't have to worry about the two of them. They'd be too busy fucking each other to really think about Naruto and him. He hid a cringe at the thought.

"Teme!" Naruto shouted as he glared at him. Sasuke blinked, wondering what he had done before he remembered his comment. He snorted, "Relax, I didn't mean it."

"You're such a jerk!"

"I'm assuming you knew that before you married him, Uzumaki." Gaara stated with a blank stare, "And I'm still going to call you Uzumaki."

Naruto rolled his eyes childishly before they landed on Neji. He grinned. "Neji! You came with Gaara! Are you his date?"

The Hyuuga seemed to choke on his own spite, his eyes widening slightly, "No! He arrived this morning and I'm his official guide."

"Yeah, sure," Naruto said with a grin and a wink towards Gaara who glaring at him.

"Aw! Don't look at me like that Gaara! You guys would look so cute together!" Someone, Naruto glanced over and saw it was Kiba, started chocking on whatever he was drinking.

"Uzumaki, I don't think-"

"Oh don't worry! I understand, if you guys want to be alone, there's the hallway, you're bound to find an empty room or closet!" He grinned and before they could reply, he was already next to Sasuke.

Gaara glanced towards his left where Neji stood, "Mind explaining to me why Uzumaki thinks we would be 'cute' together?"

Neji cleared his throat, suppressing a blush, "I have no idea."

"Hn," Gaara mumbled.

* * *

"Well I feel like this fluttering and that's the baby moving around. It caused trouble the first time I really felt it but it's ok now," Naruto explained to Hinata.

Sasuke was vaguely reminded of a tea party his mother threw one day in which a friend of hers was pregnant. He sighed, _'Why am I here again?'_

It was a nice party, nice enough that no one was bored and everyone were enjoying themselves. Gaara and Neji were off in the corner talking and quite frankly, Sasuke did not want to know about what. They looked mighty…cozy.

The other Sand siblings had arrived a few minutes after their younger brother and were talking with a more alert Shikamaru. Was it just him or where the lazy bum and the girl flirting?

Kiba was chatting with Shino who was as quiet as ever, the bog boy talking enough for the both of them. Sasuke noted that they were sitting rather close, their legs touching and..oh my god, was that his hand on his thigh?? He rubbed his temples as he closed his eyes, _'When did that happen?'_

He sighed. Sakura and Lee were dancing as were two other couples that Sasuke did not know personally but knew worked in the hospital.

Kakashi had arrived not a minute ago, late as usual but what was weird was Iruka, a man who was always on time, came with him. That had been awkward, for him anyways. They had been his sensei at some point in his life and the thought of them…he just didn't want to think about it. The only sex life he cared about was his own and connectively, Naruto's.

Oh god, mental images. He sighed as he rubbed his temples harder. He really wanted an aspirin. If he wasn't careful, he'd get addicted to them. He would bet he had taken more pills in the last couple months then he did in his entire life.

He glanced towards his spouse, who continued to talk to Hinata and Ino (she had just entered the conversation) and felt something pull at his heartstring.

To him, Naruto was beautiful, plain and simple. He loved that his bright appearance mirrored his personality. He loved that the blond could not and would not hide away his emotions, that they always showed in his eyes. He loved just how blue those eyes were…

His eyes traveled down to his round stomach. He had gained some weight, mostly around his middle but he was still in that stage where he could hide it with a baggy enough shirt and pants. He was in his thirteen week and had three weeks to go before he entered the third stage.

Naruto turned his gaze to the seat next to the couch he was sitting in and grinned as he caught sight of Sasuke watching him, "What Sasuke?"

"Nothin', just looking."

"Well stop staring," Naruto said as he rubbed his stomach and turned to continue his conversation with the two girls. Sasuke was about to stand up and go get something to eat, because honestly there was nothing else for him to do, when Sai appeared.

Well that settled it. There was no way in hell he was getting up and leaving Naruto "alone" with the pervert.

He glared, anger boiling through his veins at the sight of the young artist. He didn't hate the boy but he certainly would not feel any loss if he never saw said boy ever again…

"Sai! Where were you?" Naruto said with a smile.

"Hmm, with the Hokage, it seems like I'm going to be taking over your genin group," Sai said with a sly grin.

"That's horrible! You're going to corrupt them!" Naruto cried out with wide eyes.

Sasuke just snorted, "Too late. Those three were already corrupted."

"Don't say that! Nao is-"

"so being screwed by the Satoshi boy," he finished off as he leaned back against the chair.

Sai smiled with a little less warmth towards Sasuke, "Uchiha-san, it's good to see you."

"Feelings neutral I'm sure," he grunted.

Sai titled his head, "Nee, Uchiha-san, don't tell me you're still mad at me? Naruto here is your spouse. I would assume I can make as many comments of his little penis as I want and you wouldn't feel insecure about it."

"What the fuck!" Naruto yelled as Sasuke closed his eyes. He felt a muscle on his face twitch. Breathe…breathe…he's doing this on purpose!

"Sai, you ass! How many times do I have to tell you-"

"You keep telling me it's not small but if you would just show me-"

"I'm not letting you see me naked!"

"What about that time in the hot springs? If you had only turned around a little-" Naruto let out a small shriek, whether it was because of what Sai was saying or because Sasuke was currently holding the ANBU by his throat, no one knew.

"Sasuke!" Naruto cried, "Let go of him! You'll hurt him!"

Sai closed his eyes all the while his smile grew, "Are you angry, Uchiha-san? You should really take it as a compliment. Naruto does have a rather nice a-" Sasuke fist connecting to his jaw stopped Sai's comment as he fell to the floor.

"Sai! Are you alright?" Naruto asked as he walked towards the fallen shinobi. Sai grinned and let out a chuckle that soon turned into a full laugh, "Oh course I'm alright! I doubt the Uchiha-san met any real harm."

Sasuke glared at the boy who sat on the ground almost casually all the while rubbing his jaw. Everyone had their eyes on the small group and it was only when Sakura stood next to Sasuke and the sitting Sai that time seemed to start once more. "Alright, alright! Go back to your own business people!" They did except Kakashi and Iruka. They would go back to their conversation as soon as they thought Sasuke was not about to burst a blood vessel.

She turned her pale green eyes towards Sasuke, "Damn it, Sasuke. I'd expect you to have a little more self-control! Cool it or you're out."

"The fucking pervert was-"

"Yeah, I know. I heard," she rolled her eyes. She glanced towards Sai and said evenly, "Cut the crap Sai before Sasuke gets piss enough to hit you with a Chidori."

"Sakura-chan! I was complimenting him…and Naruto!"

"Well then don't compliment them or else you're out too," she snapped before leaving them and returning towards where Lee was standing with a huff.

Naruto hit Sai over the head, "Ass! Don't say things like that or I'll be the one kicking your ass!" he said before he stood and walked over to Sasuke only to…hit him.

"What the hell was that for?"

"For hitting my friend! Don't be such a bastard!" Naruto said with a huff as he crossed his hands in front of him.

Sasuke felt that same muscle twitch. _'This is what I get for coming…'_

He felt much better about coming ten minutes later when the whole group began playing games. Sasuke liked the fact that Naruto and he were stuck in the closet for seven minutes. He had fun.

* * *

"See? You did enjoy yourself!"

"Hn. It wasn't as bad I thought it would have been."

Naruto grinned naturally as he took off his coat and let it drop on the floor of their room. He shredded off the rest of his clothes and deciding that it was too cold for a shower, he quickly dressed in his sleeping attire.

They were silent as they continued to get ready for bed. All that was heard was the occasional footsteps, water gushing and falling into the sink and the rustle of clothes.

It was only when they were getting into bed that Naruto interrupted the silence.

"Sasuke…you wanna feel it?" he asked shyly as he glanced towards his love. He laid under the covers, his face and the tips of his fingers the only thing visible as he lay on his side.

Sasuke lay on his back but turned his head slightly so as to face Naruto and raised an eyebrow in question, "Feel what, dobe?"

"Well…I can feel it a lot, but you might not be able to but…umm…give me your hand…"

Sasuke stared at him with an odd expression but with a sigh, he gave his hand to his spouse who grasped it in his smaller hands. Their entwined hands traveled under the covers and for a moment Sasuke thought Naruto was going to bring their hands to his own groin but he didn't. He stopped rather short and laid their hands on his round stomach.

"Naruto, what are you-"

"Shh…just wait…he'll start moving soon…" Naruto mumbled, "Baa-chan said that he's moving rather early –although babies tend to move really early on but it's not until later that the mother can feel it but anyway, the 'mother' is suppose to feel the movements by the sixteen or seventeenth week but she says that it might have to do with the Kyuubi feeding our child his chakra-" Naruto stopped talking when he felt the little flutter that he knew was their child moving. He pressed Sasuke's hands harder against his stomach and he looked up towards dark eyes.

"You feel that?"

Sasuke was speechless. He could feel him (technically it could be a 'her' but Uchihas were known for having males, not females. Last female was over five generations ago) moving. It resembled a twitch underneath the skin or a flutter of wings or something smooth moving under his hand. He couldn't describe it and he didn't want to. All he knew was that something of his that was also something of Naruto's was moving underneath his hand.

"…Yeah…I feel him…" Sasuke mumbled and he kissed Naruto's forehead tenderly, "I feel him…"

* * *

Itachi stood over the bleeding figure with a distaste he often held for people like Orochimaru. There was nothing overly special about this ANBU. His hair was a dark inky black and he was handsome enough and he was certainly older than Itachi himself.

The wind blew and it whistled as it played with the leaves of the trees. There was a reason that this village was proclaimed to be hidden within the leaves. Surrounding Konoha was a forest almost too thick to be traveled in and its trees were tall and broad. These trees never lost their leaves, even during the winter. It was only the young trees that were within the village and were two miles from that village that lost their leaves. They however, quickly regained their leaves.

He sighed and he could see his breath. He vaguely wondered what the temperature was.

"Do you give up?"

"I'm not a traitor like-"

"Like me? Yes, yes…" Itachi said with a dismissing wave of his hand, "Do you not get it? You and I want the same thing."

"Really?" asked the shinobi as he stood on shaky legs. He spit blood from his mouth as he evened a glare. He did not look at Itachi in the eyes however. Itachi felt something akin to amusement at this. So this man had learned something from his little brother.

"You want the boy," Itachi said with a simple motion of his hand, "You want my brother's love."

"What the fuck are-"

"I've seen how you look at him. You lust after Uzumaki…or should I say Uchiha Naruto?"

The shinobi went rigid at the mention of the boy's name. His dark eyes seemed to lighten over as a cold emotion took over him.

"I do not lust after my captain's whore."

Itachi felt something harsh grasp him and he narrowed his eyes at the man, "Watch what you call him, Kimo or I might just change my mind and kill you."

"It seems I am not the one lusting after the boy," Kimo said as a smirk curled his lips.

"You are mistaken; I do not lust after Naruto-san. But I do crave something from him and I respect him enough to not allow filth such as yourself to call him anything derogatory," Itachi said coolly as he titled his head to the left.

Kimo clicked his tongue against his teeth, "Whatever. I'm not helping a-"

"No one will know and you will have Naruto within your grasp without my younger brother meddling…all you have to do is something very simple and it will only take a moment of your time."

"Why me?" Kimo asked skeptically, the thought of having Naruto was tempting and despite the fact that he knew that by asking Itachi for more information he was just digging himself into a larger hole, he did not stop.

"I read your file, that's all you need to know," Itachi mumbled as he glanced towards the side. Kisame was approaching. He did not want him to know he was obtaining help from this shinobi. It could be a weakness in his plans if the shark-like man knew.

"You must choose now; yes or no. I would think it would be an easy choice…"

There was hesitation in his eyes but Itachi knew as the man opened his mouth that he had him.

"…I- Yes…I'll do it…But if I don't like the plan, I'll back out…"

Itachi's lips twitched into something that could be considered a smile if it wasn't so sharp and cold, "Of course…" he mumbled, "I will give you the details tomorrow…"

He was gone before Kimo could respond.

* * *

Well my little vacation is over! -crying- Coming up are Test, Test, More Test, Projects and Mental Break Downs!! YAY -sarcasm-

Anyway, Like always, please tell me about any mistakes I've made so I can correct them, I was in a bit of a rush and didn't proof read this all that well. Actually this whole chapter seemed a bit rushed but...-shrug-

Also, I've come up with a next story: **Love and Forget: These Loving Memories****. **It's Harry Potter, TRHP Tom Riddle(Voldemort)/Harry Potter. If You think you're interested, go check out my bio!

Also…uhhhh….hmmmmm…gee…oh yeah! **Next Chapter**: Finally we see Itachi going through with his plans, some very pissed off people and Kimo is sooooo screwed. -grin-.


	10. X For All Our Suffering, For All Your S

-**A Clan's Pride** -

**Summary:** "He can keep his heir I will keep you…do we have a deal?" That voice was low and almost caring and he, for the first time, pitied him.

**Warnings:** Yaoi; Mpreg; Angst; Language; Sexual Situations;

**Disclaimer:** Let's keep it short and swift: don't own it..

**Beta/Helper:** None at the Moment!!

**AN:** For all of you who, like me love Itachi, do not fret. Although I'm not planning on giving him Naruto in the end, it will be hinted at that he will be with someone and if I ever do a sequel I'll probably include the pairing…oh! MAKE SURE TO READ **ENDING NOTE**!

I reached 200 reviews! I'm so happy!!

--

5 Weeks Pregnant- Sakura's Visit

6 Weeks Pregnant- Encounters Itachi in the dome

--

9 Week Pregnant- Wedding

--

11 Week Pregnant- Bought color for nursery (Wednesday)

11 Week Pregnant- Reorder of color (Thursday)

12 Week Pregnant- Notice of Party (Tuesday)

13 Week Pregnant- Party (Tuesday)

15 Week Pregnant- Abduction (Thursday)

**The Stages:**

1st: Seal placed – End of 1st month (4th week)

2nd: 2nd month (5th week) – End of 4th month (16th week)

3rd: 5th month (17h week) – End of 6th/7th month (24th week/28th week)

* * *

**X. For All Our Suffering, For All Your Suffering**

**--**

He had expected his plan to have been exercised two weeks ago but it hadn't. But now that he thought about it, he decided with a small shrug, that it was better this way.

He stared into the window, the sun slowly rising from behind him and the wind blowing harshly against him. He didn't mind however. He continued to stare into the window, watching the two figures that lay next to each other, curled in a loving embrace.

Very soon…very soon indeed, it would be broken. He's make sure of that.

* * *

Naruto woke up with the feeling of something pushing against his organs. He mumbled and groaned as he rubbed his stomach in an attempt to calm his child.

'_Are you hitting me on purpose, you brat?' _he thought for a second as he continued to rub his stomach, which he had learned since the little tyke began to move, actually smoothed him, if only a bit.

"Naruto?" he heard Sasuke mumbled, his dark eyes barely open. Naruto cracked a small grin, "Go back to sleep, teme. You kid is just using my stomach as his kicking bag is all."

"You want somethin'?" Sasuke continued to mumble but seemed more awake now.

"Hmmm…Ramen…" Naruto said with a growing grin. Sasuke merely rolled his eyes, "You were doing so well. You know you can't eat that junk-"

"I know, I know and it's not junk! No harm in trying though."

"Says you."

"Well…what about some…ice cream? Yeah, I want ice cream with fruit…yeah!"

Sasuke grunted but shifted and left the warm bed, "I'll be back in a bit…"

"'k!"

He heard the Uchiha go down the ancient stairs and some steps creak in the cold air. He shivered slightly as he pulled the covers closer to himself. He shifted more towards where Sasuke once lay, wanting to feel the heat left. He heard something at a distance, a bird maybe or something with a lower frequency. He vaguely wondered what it was as he fell back to sleep.

* * *

Sasuke felt something in the air. It prickled his neck and throughout the whole day, he could hear the distant sound of birds. It reminded him of Chidori.

He shook his head in an attempt to clear it of unwanted thoughts. The Hokage had summoned him, along with his group to her office. He felt something twist inside him at the thought of leaving Naruto.

Granted, he had left for missions before while Naruto was pregnant, but only for a day, two days at most. Besides, he was further along, almost in the 3rd stage. He did not want to leave Naruto now.

He mentally sighed as he stood before the doors of the office before pushing it open without a show of distress or worry. He glanced around the room, Kikyo and Hitori already there but Kimo was surprisingly absent. He let a frown grace his features. Kimo was always the first one to arrive, even before him.

"Where is Kimo?" he asked as he entered the room, forgetting about the Hokage and her orders. He noticed her frown but merely stared back at her with a blasé expression, one that seemed to just annoy her even more.

"He is not here," she finally answered as she shifted the pile of papers on her table, "He could not be located. He has not been seen since yesterday afternoon."

That odd, bird-like chirping rang again and Sasuke winced, for it seemed like the sound was getting higher in frequency. It was beginning to sound like a buzzing sound. Oddly enough…he felt like he should know this sound…

"Damn, there's that sound again," Kikyo mumbled as she rubbed her ear with the palm of her hand with a graceless frown on her face. It reminded Sasuke mildly of Naruto.

"You hear it too?" Hikari stated with a tilt of his head. "It's been driving me up the wall…"

"Sound? What sound?" the Hokage mumbled as she stared at the captain with a raised eyebrow, already assuming he knew what his subordinates were taking about.

"Hn. Can't you hear that damn chirping or buzzing or whatever you want to call it? It's been going on since I woke up-" he stopped abruptly, his brows knitting together as a thought struck him.

"Captain, what-"

He turned his gaze towards the two subordinate, "Find Kimo! He's behind this," he hissed before turning swiftly and was out the door before anyone could say anything against it.

'_Naruto…hold on'_

* * *

Naruto was quite frankly about to search the whole house for the fucking animal that had not stopped with it's stupid calling since this morning and kill it, butcher it if he had to. Ok, so it stopped, but only for a minute and then it would start again. Sometimes at different frequencies, sometimes at different volume. It was just getting annoying, and it was giving him a headache. Also add to the fact that he was having difficulty moving…

Something creaked downstairs and his immediate thought it was Sasuke. He probably forgot something…

He mumbled against the pillow – it was past twelve yet he couldn't find the strength to start the day- all the while shifting deeper into the mattress.

He heard the hurried steps of the Uchiha and the occasional creaks of the ancient house. He heard when the door was opened and as someone entered with soft steps. He did not move to face him however.

"What'cha doing back so early, Sasuke?" Naruto mumbled as he felt the presence near the bed. The bed sunk slightly as the Uchiha sat on the bed and Naruto felt the cold chill against his skin as the comforter was pulled back. Cold hands, colder than the wind outside probably, touched his neck and caressed his check.

Naruto shrieked softly at the cold hands and he jerked away from the touch, "Sa'ke! You're hands are cold! What the hell were you doing, touching-" he had turned slightly and opened his eyes so as to face his husband but his sentence came to a sudden halt at seeing that the figure beside him was not his husband at all.

He smiled coolly, "Forgive me, Naruto-san. I was always said to be a cold person…"

Naruto moved further from the figure, his attempts sluggish and slow for a reason unknown to him and before he could even leave the bed, he felt arms encircle him before he was pushed back against a hard chest, "Do not strain yourself, Naruto-san. It is bad for the baby…"

"Let go of me!" Naruto hissed as he thrashed back in forth, his fingers digging into Itachi's arm.

Itachi felt his skin prickle as Naruto's wild chakra that also held a trace of Kyuubi's, smoldered against his skin to the point where his hold on the blond slacked. Naruto took the opportunity to break from the hold but before he could truly even move a foot away, he was once again pulled back against a hard chest, this time his front against Itachi's chest, "My, my, feisty as ever, Naruto-san? You must calm down, Naruto-san," Itachi mumbled as he grabbed Naruto's chin and titled his gaze up.

Naruto met red spinning eyes and before he could even think of looking away, he felt his resolve crumble and his eyes close as he fell into a deep slumber.

Itachi cradled the smaller boy in his arms and with a smug smirk, he disappeared from the house right as the other Uchiha entered.

* * *

It was almost as if the whole village shook as a large amount of chakra seemed to burst from where the Uchiha Compound resided and almost as quickly as it exploded, it seemed to be sucked back, leaving the air tense and heavy. It was almost immediately that everyone in the village noticed just how hard it was to breathe.

* * *

Kimo, if there was one thing he was good at, it was this. There were many types of barriers, many times of shields, and many types of wards. His specialty, one that many Shinobi knew how to do but did not truly know how to use, was the Kimikuko Circle.

It was usually explained as a barrier or ward that encircled a certain person or if powerful enough, a certain amount of space. In that space, the castor had the power of manipulation. Usually, mostly, it was used during missions when creating a fire was too hazardous. They created a circle around the food needing heating and they would manipulate the temperature inside the circle until it rose to a specified heat.

It was troublesome however for it took too long to cast and wasted too much chakra. Whatever was to be manipulated inside the circle took too long to be manipulated.

Yet he was exceptionally good at creating the Kimikuko Circle and it was duly noted in his reports, so small and such an insignificant mark, that he doubted even the Hokage knew how good he was. He doubted anyone knew just how good he was…except…somehow, the traitorous Uchiha seemed to have found out.

He pushed a bit more chakra into the shimmering circle that surrounded all of Konoha and it seemed to calm down the frequency of the circle, for it once more became invisible to the naked eye.

He cursed as another minute went by without a sign of the oldest Uchiha. I had taken too long, almost the whole night and morning to create the circle, and now, after two hours stable, he was at his last drops of chakra. If he didn't arrive soon-

He blinked as he saw the traitor in front of him, his arms holding Naruto almost fondly.

"Are you going to let me out, Kimo?" Itachi mumbled with a tilt of his head. For a moment, Kimo hesitated. He did not know why but he did and for another second, he thought of just keeping the circle up, thus trapping the traitor and then calling for reinforcement.

"Kimo!" Itachi hissed and that one word broke down any second thoughts he had. He shifted his arms slightly –for you had to keep your hands on the "invisible" circle at all time so as to distribute and release the needed chakra- and pulled apart so as to make a wide enough opening for the Uchiha.

The Uchiha walked through the opening without Kimo having to tell him where it was. He continued to walk and for a moment, Kimo thought he was going to leave, but he didn't. He stopped. Kimo shifted so as to pull away from the circle and thus disperse it but he never got the chance. He felt something push against his shoulder and before he knew it, he was on the ground, inside the circle.

He looked up, his eyes wide in disbelief. The Uchiha held one hand against the shimmering circle, the sound of birds chirping in a high frequency sounding. The Uchiha looked down at him with a contemptuous look, "Did you honestly think I would let you have him, Kimo? And did you honestly think you were the only one who could create such a Kimikuko Circle?"

Kimo pushed against the floor in an attempt to rise from the ground but couldn't. It was suddenly very hard to breathe.

"I instructed you to target Naruto, you did. I instructed you to wait until you could feel my brother's chakra to change the force of gravity, you did. Such a brilliant display of manipulation. I could not even do such a thing from scratch, I would need someone else to do it for me, and then I could keep it stable." True to his word, the noise that signified a disturbance in the circle quieted down until it was no longer present.

"You've even made it impossible to penetrate. I would have certainly not been able to breach it if you had not opened it for me, Kimo…"

"As…as soon as you let go…it'll go down and you-" Kimo tried to speak, feeling a growing sense of smugness at the thought of the Uchiha being caught, but he was interrupted by the Uchiha.

"It will not go down, Kimo, until you are either dead or unconscious," Itachi said with a growing smirk, "You see, I am keeping it stable, but you are keeping it up. The only reason I am feeding my chakra to it right now is because the noise it makes when it is unstable is irritating. Because you are inside the circle, it will continue to feed off of you once it does not have me to do so."

As if to prove his comment true, Itachi retracted his hand from the circle and once more the chirping noise returned, although it transformed into a sound similar to shrilling. The circle became visible as heat waves are often visible during a hot summer day.

Yet it did not slowly disappear, not did the shrilling, it seemed to intensify and the shrilling grew louder, and louder until it became almost painful.

Itachi turned away, "Thank you for your services, Kimo and good luck with my brother. I hope for your sake that you do not utter anything concerning me or what I have told you in the past couple of days," he turned his head slightly and his red eyes seemed to eat away at Kimo's sanity until there was barely anything left. He was screaming in pain. He felt his skin peeling and something sharp piercing him, cutting him, eating at way at him. And then almost abruptly, it stopped. Itachi was no longer facing him but crutching down so as to lift Naruto from the ground.

Kimo blinked hard, the shrilling continuing. When he opened his eyes once more, they were gone.

He could feel people approaching and wished he could fall into a deep sleep, but couldn't. He could feel every ache in his body, and the slow drainage of his chakra.

* * *

Sasuke felt like his skin was peeling before a force too strong pushed him back and he hit a tree.

He stood up, intent on trying once more before a hand landed on his shoulder. He turned around sharply and came face to face with the Hokage.

"Let go you damn hag!" Sasuke hissed, "The bastard has Naruto-"

"I know."

"You know?! Then what the fuck are you doing? Let go! I have to-"

"You won't be able to get through that…the fact that you were repelled is proof. If you try that once more, I can guarantee you won't be repelled but killed."

"Naru-"

"Our best chance is your subordinate over there…" the Hokage said calmly as she jerked her head towards the direction of where Kimo lay. She was sweating, her breathing a bit labored but nothing compared to the pressure Kimo seemed to be under.

"You knew about Kimo's plans once you left my office and you surrounded your body with your chakra in an opposite but equal amount of what Kimo was releasing. That's about the only reason you aren't being affected. Besides, by now, Itachi could be anywhere-"

"You knew-"

"I felt his presence right before he disappeared," she mumbled, "He's gone and has probably not left any visible trace. You alone will not be able to find him."

"I can't-"

"You will!" she hissed as her hand tightened around his shoulder to the point where he flinched. "You will! You will stay here while I take my men and find Naruto. You will wait here until I give you permission, Uchiha or you'll find yourself with an arrest warrant over your head and locked up like you just killed the Hokage!"

Sasuke felt something stir within him, his chakra control slipping and he could feel the effects of the circle slowly getting to him.

"I-"

"We will get him back, Sasuke," she mumbled, her brown eyes softening, "We will get him back. I doubt very much Itachi will harm him or take him to Akatsuki…I doubt it very much…" her calming voice was like a lullaby and before he knew it, he was slack against her, his resolve no longer there and his thoughts and emotions a swirl of color and darkness.

Yet the pain, somewhere deep inside him, thumped in tone to his heart and he couldn't help but welcome that sweet darkness if it repelled the pain…if only for a little while.

* * *

He woke up with a start, his thoughts immediately jumping to what happened before he…passed out.

He felt liking hitting something, destroying something as a cry broke through his throat and echoed within the sterilized room. He heard the door open and a nurse enter, "Uchiha-dono, please, calm down. You're chakra level is too-"

"Shut up! Get out! Get out!" he roared as he threw the closest thing to him towards her. She shrieked but stayed where she was, only moving a foot or two so as to avoid the things being thrown at her. She shrieked again, by which time, two other nurses had entered. They tried to calm the last Uchiha down, to speak but he wouldn't let them. He continued to throw and scream, all the while trying to pull the needles and other wires from his body. He fussed with one particular needle on his right arm and one nurse took that opportunity to drug him.

It was quick and almost painless. He went limb on the bed. He slept.

* * *

The place was nothing as he expected. He did not know what he expected really. But he hadn't expected this.

It was a medium size room, nothing too amazing about it. There was a small table in the middle of the room with two chairs on each side. There was light on the roof that did not flicker but stayed constantly bright. It was moldy in the room and cold. Almost too cold to be quite comfortable.

He had been in the room for four days now. He had been taken there directly, no one seeing to his wounds. He had eventually lost consciousness while he was being transported to his little cell, in which almost immediately after, the circle dispersed.

They all felt the effects immediately and the Hokage wasted no time to send her best ANBU to find the boy she saw as a son.

No one had come to visit him. No one had come to interrogate him. The only time he saw anyone was during the mornings when two ninjas would come to leave food for him. They did not speak nor looked at him. They opened the door, placed it on the floor and then closed the door promptly.

It was the fourth day and-

The door opened slowly, creaking, as if the person opening the door was hesitant to do so. He shifted his position and gazed towards the door with curiosity. They had already brought his food, why would-

And there stood his Captain. He stood stiff, solid and hard. His young face was not young or the least bit old but hard and unforgiving. A scowl graced his features and his dark eyes were cold and held an inner light that was not pleasant to witness.

He felt a shudder run through him but he mentally reminded him that this man, this _boy_ was a much better choice than having the other Uchiha. It was much bett-

"You are quite terrified of him, I assume, Kimo," he murmured, his lips barely parting to let the words out. His eyes drilled into Kimo's and against his own will, Kimo began to fidget. He didn't speak however which almost seemed to amuse his Captain.

"I'll take that as an affirmative." He titled his head to the left in an almost curious way although his expression did not change, not even in the slightest.

"You probably think 'there is nothing they can do that could be worse than what he can', right?"

"Captain-"

"Comparing Orochimaru, Itachi and myself, in what order would you place us if I asked you who you feared more?"

"I-" Kimo cleared his voice and he fidgeted once more as he saw those dark eyes narrowed. Something close to courage swelled in him, remembering that this boy, this _boy_ was not even twenty and was not as bad as the Uchiha who killed his whole clan in cold blood.

"You would be last, Captain," he answered coldly. He eyed the Uchiha, waiting for a response, waiting for a reaction.

He heard something similar to a hiss of breath and at first, Kimo did not know what to make of it. But then with a start he realized that the Captain was laughing.

It was not a giggly laugh or anything like Naruto-san's laugh which always seemed light with a bit of mischief and sunlight. It reminded him of a snake; evil, twisting, mocking. The sound seemed to twist around him, around his arms, his chest, his neck, chocking, slithering, smothering…

"You truly are a fool, Kimo," Sasuke mumbled with an almost fond tone, "I was once a traitor to this village, Kimo. I once studied under Orochimaru and I watched all his techniques and learned many of them. I know what he was capable of. He was sick, he was twisted and he took joy in the pain of others," he smirked almost fondly at the memories, "He made it into an art form. Itachi, he likes more to attack mentally. A physical wound is nothing compared to a mental one and he knows that quite well. Both different techniques but both quite efficient. But they both lack something, Kimo. Orochimaru, he quickly became bored and often held no real reason, no real conviction for his tortures and Itachi, he does it to make a point or to follow orders, never because he truly wants to make the other suffer. He will stop after a while."

He walked towards the sitting subordinate, squatting mere inches from the man. He brought his hand towards Kimo's face and he grasped his chin in harsh grip, "You are a fool," he growled out, his eyes spinning, capturing Kimo quickly enough, "I have more conviction than Orochimaru. I will not get bored of your screams. I will not stop nor will I be stopped. I will not give you a swift end like he did to his victims. I will make ever moment drag on. I am not doing this because I was ordered to or to make a point, I am doing this because I want you to suffer…and I want to know everything, _everything_ you know about Itachi's plan. You rank me belong them, Kimo? Let us see if I can change your mind…"

The pain began.

* * *

**PLEASE READ AUTHOR NOTE BELOW**

1. Ok guys, I've been trying to choose between it being just one baby or Naruto having twins. This is where you guys come in. No, I am not going to have a poll for this but I will take what you guys think into _**consideration**_…tell me what you think! P.S. If it's twins, it'll be two boys. If it's one single, it'll still be a boy. Sorry, but I'm a weird female. I like it when mpreg has a baby boy…don't know why…but if I ever make a sequel, I promise that they'll have a girl! Somewhere in the future anyway!

2. This, I must warn you is a bit of a rant. I've been noticing that this has been happening lately; I've been writing names wrong. I HATE, DESPISE, ABHOR it when authors misspell names of places, people, etc. in fanfictions. I just can't stand it. I see it as the author being lazy and not really taking the time to double check to make sure. And what have I done in TWO occasions? I've misspelled Kyuubi AND Uzumaki…HOW THE FUCK DO I LET THAT HAPPEN?! Granted, my stupid spelling correction tends to change some of the spelling of some of my words (autocorrect, my ass!) without me noticing sometimes but still!! Unacceptable! Really!! GEEZ!! I'm so pissed at myself! Especially seeing as these are like Japanese names/terms! I mean, Kyuubi…HELLO!? The word is compounded of like two of the most basic first words you learn in Japanese! My sensei would be soooo disappoint me in if she ever saw me do such a stupid mistake! (ok, maybe she wouldn't be sooo disappointed in me and would probably find this funny, but that's not the point!) And then Uzumaki?? How the hell can I misspell that!? –sigh- ok I feel better now…

3. Ok, usually, when I'm talking in Japanese (in Japanese class, 'cus I can't really talk Japanese anywhere else really) I will use the last name first and then the given name because well…it's tradition, that's how you do it in Japan. I've been writing everyone's name First name, Last name in this fic though. Tell me if you guys dislike it and I'll change it to Last Name, First Name.

Ok! Anyway, that's about it! I feel this chapter was SUPER rushed, but I wanted to get this out before the end of this week because I'll be out of commission for like two weeks while I do my AP tests. Sorry, sorry! I also feel slightly disappointed with the whole plan but what I was going to do originally would take too long AND my computer had shut down while I was writing it and got deleted. Anyway…sorry to those who think it's a bit of a disappointment.

**Next Chapter**: I'll be going over the "plan" in more detail, why Sasuke was so drained and stuff like that. I'll also shift to see what Itachi and Naruto are up to (nothing "wrong" and "kinky" I swear!) and we'll be seeing everyone's reaction and also see Sasuke's evil, demented side! I'm sooo going to have fun with that part!

SORRY for any mistakes! Let me know and I'll fix it! I only got to recheck it once so there might be a few!! ALSO!! PLEASE tell me if like sentences are being cut off because a break is between them and the sentences finishes off like one line down...fanfiction(.)net seems to be breaking up lines and pushing them one space down...


	11. XI Our Deal, Your Torture

-**A Clan's Pride** -

**Summary:** "He can keep his heir and I will keep you…do we have a deal?" That voice was low and almost caring and he, for the first time, pitied him.

**Warnings:** Yaoi; Mpreg; Angst; Language; Sexual Situations;

**Disclaimer:** Let's keep it short and swift: don't own it..

**Beta/Helper:** None at the Moment!!

**AN:**

I reached 300 reviews! I'm so happy!!

--

6 Weeks Pregnant- Encounters Itachi in the dome

--

9 Week Pregnant- Wedding

--

13 Week Pregnant- Party (Tuesday)

15 Week Pregnant- Abduction (Thursday)

**The Stages:**

1st: Seal placed – End of 1st month (4th week)

2nd: 2nd month (5th week) – End of 4th month (16th week)

3rd: 5th month (17h week) – End of 6th/7th month (24th week/28th week)

* * *

**XI. Our Deal, Your Torture**

**--**

Far away, he could hear the sound of water hitting against a surface, constantly without break or mercy. It hit him somewhere on his neck, the same place, over and over and over-

He felt the non-existing walls surround him and begin closing in, touching him, forcing him to shrink, to become smaller and smaller almost to the point where he felt the threat of simply disappearing… there was a sharp pain, something stabbing him and penetrating right through him.

He felt something metallic rise up his throat- blood…he felt his mouth open desperately, he spit and spit, wanting the strong liquid out of his mouth but he couldn't- he was drowning, drowning-

Another stab, through his neck and even that pain did not distract him from the insane dripping of the water on the back of his neck. It hurt.

Everything hurt.

He couldn't breathe…his lungs constricted…his heart stopped. He couldn't get it starting. He gasped, tried to move, move any muscle, any reaction, anything…couldn't.

He stopped. His eyes were beginning to roll back in his head; he could see darkness, darker, darker…red…

It hurt, God, it hurt so much. He never felt anything like this. He felt hopeless, he couldn't breathe anymore, it's been too long since he took a breath. He ached. His head had been split in two at some point, he was sure. God, he wanted something solid to smash his body against, something to distract himself, something…

Then, he felt it, slowly air managed to get past his throat, past the liquid that continued to rise in the back of his throat. It managed to enter his lungs and his lungs stretched, stretched and it hurt so much but at least he could breathe, breathe, breathe-

Something hard slammed against his chest. It broke whatever was underneath his skin. The impact stopped his heart again, it stopped it and he was afraid it would not start ever again…

The room came back into focus. The cold burned his skin and the smell of mold had his lungs refusing air, God-

"Your screams were getting annoying." The voice was slightly annoyed yet it was light with a dark sense of amusement. His eyes caught sight of the foot that was on his chest and the body that it was attached to.

Sasuke titled his head, "I'm surprised your throat is still working. You've been screaming for two hours straight…"

"Y-you-" He tried to speak but the words could not get passed his throat. God, did he hurt. He could feel every part of his body; everything ached…his chest…

Sasuke pressed down on his chest with his foot almost idly, "These five hours have been fun, Kimo but I've decided to be generous. I haven't really given you a break or a chance to tell me anything but if you feel like you are ready to talk, we can stop. I'll be slightly disappointed that our fun will be over but I assure you, I'll get over it…"

He could hear his bones breaking, his lungs were being crushed, something was piercing inside him- he couldn't. He rose and the pressure placed on his chest by the foot lessened as he rolled over and began to cough and gag, blood covering the floor.

"Oh dear, it seems you've ruptured something," He felt cold hands grab him by the back neck, rising him enough so that he was on his knees. He continued to cough but the boy simply spoke over the noise.

"Well, I don't want you to have any problem breathing…" Kimo could hear the noise of chirping and even in his hazed mind he knew what that meant. The pain began on his back and went through his chest. The breath that he was taken was lost. He was chocking-

"Did you know I gave the same wound to Naruto when we were still children?" the words were hissed into his ear, "You don't deserve such a wound. Such a similar wound to my beautiful Naruto…"

The arm that was inside his chest was retracted and the hand that was holding him by the neck released him. He fell, his head hitting the hard floor. He would have groaned if he could have. He couldn't breathe.

"Oh don't you worry, Kimo. I'm not about to let you die," something warm and itchy engulfed him. The pain continued to rage within him, hurt him…But somehow the haze began to lift and his chest seemed to be stretching- _closing_.

"Not even Death will take you away from me, Kimo…" He was pulled by his hair, "I've changed my mind. Let's continue our little game…how about I show you something different? Let's play with your blood…" His head was twist into an awkward, painful position and he met red eyes.

He felt his lips part and despite his throat's protest he spoke, "P-please…"

The brunet raised an eyebrow, "Please what, Kimo? Please let us continue? Well certainly…" The eyes whirled and captured him.

The pain began at his heart and with every beat it took, the pain spread further until it touched every part of him, from his toes to his fingers to the every tip of his head.

He could hear something in the background, something insister and…insane. It was hissing and laughter rolled into one.

* * *

There was bird chirping and the smell of burning wood. The place was warm and comfortable and he was quite hesitant to leave it. He was lying on something soft and he, with a small smile snuggled in more. He was drifting back into sleep when something like a flutter happened beneath his skin.

He sighed as he reached out towards his belly and he rubbed it in a smoothing motion.

"Calm down you little brat…" he mumbled with affection clear in his tone and a tender smile.

"You're a natural mother, Naruto-san," a voice spoke.

The voice shattered Naruto's peaceful moment for that one voice brought memories and he sprung up so quickly he was surprised he hadn't hurt something.

"Itachi!" he hissed as his blue eyes glared into amused red ones.

"Naruto-san," Itatchi said with a tilt of his head and a small smirk.

"Where am I?" Naruto asked, for he knew he was not at his house and he doubted very much he was anywhere inside Konoha.

"You are in an abandoned cabin I came upon long ago. I was still ANBU captain during that time…"

"Why did you bring me here?" Naruto mumbled. His hand landed on his chest and he felt a bump underneath his shirt. He felt for the jewelry and when he found it, he grasped it within his hand.

It was the necklace Sasuke had brought for him on a mission. It was a simple necklace; a strip of pelt with an obsidian pendent hanging by a thin clip.

With all the commotion created by having the seal being placed on him, the gift had been forgotten until two weeks ago; the day after the party in fact. Sasuke had found it underneath his table in his study while he was looking for a fallen paper.

"_The merchant said it's supposed to protect love ones…you are my greatest love carrying our greatest achievement…I wish to protect you…even when I can't…"_

He felt his heart twitch at the thought of his husband…_'Sasuke…'_

Footsteps broke though his thought.

"Don't get near me!" Naruto shrieked as he tried to move closer to the headboard and further away from Itachi. The Uchiha did not stop and he continued walking towards Naruto, "I said don't come near me!" he screamed and Itachi did indeed stop. Not because of Naruto's volume but because he could not get closer.

Something- a barrier, was stopping him. Something shimmered in front of him and he noticed the glowing pendent. He raised an eyebrow, "My brother gave you a charmed pendent? To think he came across something so valuable…"

Naruto continued to glare, not really caring what Itachi was talking about. Itachi simply shrugged, "No matter, you will put down the barrier on your own…"

"And why the fuck do you think I would do that?" Naruto mumbled with a frown and a glare.

"If you stay within that barrier, who will help you give birth to your child?"

Naruto felt his eyes widen as a hand landed on his round stomach. The frown left his lips, "Please, I can't stay here! Baa-chan, she needs to be with me when my baby needs to be born, Please!"

"No, no she doesn't," Itachi said, "All you need is a medic that is experienced enough. I have found one…"

"Why the hell would you do that?"

"I once told you I meant no harm to your child and I meant that," Itachi said with a shrug.

"Then why did you take me away?" Naruto said and his voice cracked. His blue eyes seemed watery and Itachi felt something tighten in his chest at the sight of Naruto crying.

"Do not cry, Naruto…" he said and the name rolled from his tongue so intimately without the usual formal suffix.

"Who says I'm crying?" Naruto asked with a small sniff as he rubbed his eyes. "You- just- just- seeing you hurts my eyes is all!" Naruto pouted cutely as he tried to glare at the young man in front of him.

"Naruto-"

"I wanna go home!"

"You will not. I will not let you…unless…"

"Unless what?" Naruto said with hope shinning in his eyes. He could not possibly outrun Itachi in his current state and he would not risk fighting him. His only hope was this "unless" or someone else rescuing him…

"Let us make a deal Naruto," Itachi mumbled. His red eyes bled and dark onyx eyes now stared into Naruto's blue ones. Naruto fidgeted with his necklace, all of a sudden nervous…itchy.

It was unmistakable that Itachi and Sasuke were brothers, especially when Itachi stared at him with such black eyes that seemed to smolder.

"You must stay with me until your baby is born at the very least. Either, you stay with me until I decide otherwise or you can go back to Konoha but know this, in neither of these two scenarios will your baby be with you. If you stay here, I will send your baby back to my little brother but if you choose to leave, the baby will stay with me…"

"You would kill my baby!?" Naruto screamed, his face red and his cerulean eyes seemed to have darkened to a sapphire blue.

"No, never," Itachi said as he folded his arms in front of him, "I would never kill your child. I would leave it in the middle of a forest. If he were to die there or be eaten, it was because the Fates wished it. If he survives, it is also because the Fates wished it."

Naruto blue eyes darkened into a blood red, "How dare you little-"

"Careful, Naruto. Having such wild chakra swimming around and inside you could harm the child."

The chakra that had begun to intensify around him stopped and seemed to have been sucked into Naruto.

"Why?" Naruto asked, "Why are you doing this?"

"Because I am tired of my darkness and I wish to have a reason to continue. I wish a light…"

Naruto felt his anger start to melt. "They'll find you. They'll kill you…"

"No one knows of this place except I and it is rather secured. By the time they find this place, if they find it at all, we will be long gone. But if for some reason they do manage to find us and kill me I will die happy," Itachi replied. There was silence in the room as Naruto stared at the older Uchiha. His anger had dispersed and he was left with a foul taste in his mouth.

"Itachi-"

"What is your answer, Naruto-san? I think I am being quite generous. He can keep his heir and I will keep you…do we have a deal?" That voice was low and almost caring and Naruto, for the first time, pitied him.

"Do you promise my child will arrive to Sasuke, alive and unhurt?"

"My word is my bond, Naruto-san…"

"Fine," Naruto said with a lost look and something close to defeat, "We have a deal…"

"Promise me, promise me on the life of that child, and the lives of that village you adore so much."

"I promise on my-" Naruto felt his throat constrict, "I promise on my precious people that I will not leave- I will not le-leave you if you return my child t-to his father unharmed a-and alive." Naruto's grip on the necklace slacked and the barrier fell. He buried his face into his hands as he felt tears prickle his eyes.

Itachi smiled and for the first time in many, many years, it reached his eyes, "Thank you, Naruto…"

* * *

Why did it hurt so much? Why? His veins were not caring blood, no, it was impossible. It was caring fire and there were ants, small ants inside, walking, biting, itching.

He felt the drops of water again: drip, drip, drip, drip-

His world was dark and cold and yet there was color, red. It entangled and strangled him. He smelt copper and salt mixed together and it was too strong. He could taste the darkness, the ever present darkness.

Then he appeared. It was like he was part of the darkness. His red eyes were like demon's: they glittered in such a way that disturbed him.

"Kimo, Kimo, my dear subordinate..." The voice that came from those evil lips was dark, jagged and held a sense of insanity.

"You know you've only been here for two minutes and yet you've already given up?"

"T-two minutes? No…it's been-"

"Twenty-eight hours? Amazing what the mind can do, ain't it?" Those evil lips curled.

"Cap-captain…please…" he gasped as he continued to wither on a ground that in his mind did not exist.

"Am I still ranked below, Kimo?"

"No! No! No! Please! Please!"

Sasuke titled his head and those lips curled even more. So much like a snake.

"You wanna end our fun so quickly? Are you willing to talk?"

"Yes, yes! Anything, just stop, please!"

Sasuke squatted next to the shaking and withering figure, "Alright…it has been fun, Kimo." He snapped his fingers and the darkness was sucked away, leaving the familiar room.

The sensation of fire and ants running through his veins was gone, leaving only the dull ache of his body. His Captain was still squatting next to him, "I will call for the medics to transfer you out of this cell. You have a day to get your information straight and your throat healed enough to talk. If you lie to me or I believe you are lying, our little time here will seem like another day at a festival compared to what I'll do."

He rose and without another word, left the moldy room. When the door closed, Kimo felt air return to the room fully and some of the tension that had paralyzed him left him.

Yet he ached so much and he felt too much to move, it hurt to think even. But above all, above anything he was petrified with fear.

* * *

Sasuke entered the Hokage's room calmly despite the protest of the ANBU in front of her office. Her eyes snapped towards him and immediately, her eyes widened at the sight of him.

His hair was tousled and he, along with his ANBU uniform was covered in blood. It was not an unusual sight when a shinobi came back from a mission but the fact was that Uchiha Sasuke was suppose to be drugged and chained to a bloody bed in the hospital.

"Kimo needs medical attention. He can last another couple of hours without it but let's not risk anything," he mumbled with a shrug and a casual expression.

"You- you went to see the prisoner?" she asked and Sasuke nodded, a smirk curling his lips.

"He's my direct subordinate. I had every right to see him."

"You're supposed to be in bed, drugged and chained."

He gave a half-shoulder shrugged, "I woke up and broke the chain."

"There was a reason why you were drugged and chained," Tsunade hissed and her forceful fist slammed onto the desk.

"I assumed as much," Sasuke mumbled with another half shrug.

"What did you do to him?" Tsunade said with an unknown emotion in her voice. Sasuke stared at her with a critical eye before he shrugged once more, "Nothing he didn't deserve. Besides, it's gotten him to talk. He's willing to talk tomorrow…"

"He would have been willing to talk without your help!"

"Oh please! What were you people going to do? Hold his hand? Assure that we'll keep him safe from Itachi?" he jeered with a sarcastic snort and a roll of his eye, "That is not what he needed. He needed to know that Itachi is not the worst, is not what he has to fear…"

"You just wanted revenge."

"I won't deny I loved torturing him," Sasuke said, "But I went down there so as to get information. I want Naruto back and the only lead we have is that- that damn bastard!"

"You've gone insane!" Tsunade said with a shake of her head and unsteady brown eyes, "You've gone completely and utterly insane, Uchiha!"

"And when I get Naruto back I'll gain my sanity!" Sasuke screamed, "So help me, Hokage if I don't get him back! So help your bloody village and these people! I'll burn everything to the fucking ground-"

"You dare come into my office and threaten me?" She rose and her brown eyes were nearly black with rage, "You dare threaten to harm the village that Naruto loves so much?"

"This bloody village doesn't deserve Naruto's love!"

"Neither do you!" she screamed.

Sasuke pursed his lips as he willed down his dark emotions. It did not help much, but he could think a bit straighter, just a little…

"Do you know what I wanted to do with you when you returned, Uchiha? I wanted to send you straight to the executioner."

Sasuke did not flinch or even looked surprise. He mentally shrugged. Of course he knew. He had always known…

"I was actually writing the formal order for it when Naruto barged in, yelling and demanding you to be set free. I, of course, told him that that was impossible, that you were going to be executed. Do you know what he said?"

Honestly, he didn't and it seemed like Tsunade knew of his ignorance for she continued on.

"He said that the moment you were executed, he would surrender to Kyuubi and let him burn this village to the ground. He warned me that if I was going to kill you that I better kill him before we dared to point any weapon at you for he would kill everyone as retribution," her eyes held a sadden glint to them, a nostalgic haze.

"He was completely serious. He was willing to throw away everything he had worked for since he was twelve years old for you; He was willing to sacrifice his dream, his name for you! Even in a bloody cell, labeled a traitor, having betrayed him, you were still loved and put before him…he still loved you damn it!" Her fist slammed on the table and created a whole.

The only noise was the creaking of the desk and the distant sound of the village.

"He is my light and he is everything to me," Sasuke said, "I know I do not deserve him. I doubt there is such a person but he is mine and I need him. Naruto is willing to turn his back on this village for me? That is nothing compared to what I would do for him…" His eyes were sparkling again. They sparkled like Tsunade's old teammate's once did. His hands clenched and unclenched and his stance was so rigid, Tsunade suspected his whole body was hurting.

"We'll get him back," Tsunade said as her gaze flew towards the wall behind Sasuke.

"I know we will. No matter what has to be done, we will get him back…" There was conviction in his words and his black eyes gleamed in an uncomfortable way.

* * *

"Naruto, I wish you to meet someone. Meet is actually not the correct word…" Itachi mumbled as he walked towards the only door in the room. Naruto still rested on the bed, his face in his hands, shielding him from view.

He could hear two pair of footsteps, one belonging to Itachi and the other to someone else. He couldn't find within himself to care whose.

"Naruto-kun…it's been so long…" the voice was gentle and it instantly reminded Naruto of needles prickling. His face left his hands so quickly that Itachi was slightly surprised when he was looking into cerulean eyes.

"You!" Naruto cried in disbelief. The older shinobi smiled coldly, "Hmm…yes. Surprise to see me alive? Thought that Sasuke had killed me off? He missed me, but not by much."

The shinobi raised his left arm which was not made of flesh but metal. It moved almost as fluently as a regular flesh-n-bones arm but held something cold about it.

"Luckily, he didn't check to see if I was alive. Just left. He was in quite a hurry, no doubt to get back to you as quickly as possible…"

Naruto let a noise sounding close to a choke leave him.

"Naruto…he's going to help you…he's an exceptional medic if the rumors are true and they are. But don't you worry…he's not going to harm you…" Itachi mumbled with such reassurance that Naruto found himself believing him.

Yet behind the round glasses, the medic's eyes glittered darkly with great malice. His lips tugged into a friendly looking smile but it wasn't. It was cold and sharp and spoke of pain.

"I'm going to take good care of you and your baby, Naruto…"

"Indeed he will," Itachi said. He placed his hand on his right shoulder and his grip tightened to the point where he medic was on his knees, "He wouldn't dare hurt you for he knows what the consequences will be…"

Naruto felt his baby flutter inside him in an almost sad manner. Naruto wrapped his arms around his middle and closed his eyes as a means of comfort to the both of them.

"Sasuke," he whispered so softly that even he did not hear himself.

* * *

**AUTHOR NOTE!**

Well, what do you guys think? I have a beta but I couldn't get in contact with her today and I wanted to post this up, today so it's un beta…

**P.S.** If fanfiction(.)net is still breaking up lines and then having it appear one line down, tell me. It's annoying and it sometimes breaks up a word and then it confuses your guys, so tell me and i'll fix it!

I've still haven't decided if I should go with either twins or siblings but I'm thinking of just doing that their first child is a single and that in a couple of years, they have twins….hmmm? what'cha think?

Hmm…I've decided to do Last Name, First Name but I don't have much time right now to like go back and change everything but I'll do it soon. However, from now on, it's Last Name, First Name…sorry if that's going to confuse any of you!! –pout-

Also, anyone here like Bleach? Sasuke's character right now is somewhat like Ichimaru Gin (LOVE HIM).

SO, who do you guys think the medic is? I think I've given some obvious clues, but who knows…-shrug-

Find any mistakes, tell me I've only gone through this once and _**quickly**_ skimmed through it a second. So yeah, tell me what you guys think about this chapter, k?


	12. XII As Time Surely Passes

-**A Clan's Pride** -

**Summary:** "He can keep his heir and I will keep you…do we have a deal?" That voice was low and almost caring and he, for the first time, pitied him.

**Warnings:** Yaoi; Mpreg; Angst; Language; Sexual Situations;

**Disclaimer:** Let's keep it short and swift: don't own it..

**Beta/Helper:**

**AN:**

-  
6 Weeks Pregnant- Encounters Itachi in the dome

9 Week Pregnant- Wedding

15 Week Pregnant- Abduction (Thursday)

16 Week Pregnant- Sasuke's "Imprisonment" (Friday)

17 Week Pregnant- Search Party Begins (Monday)

17 Week Pregnant- Akatsuki's Order (Wednesday)

**The Stages:  
**1st: Seal placed – End of 1st month (4th week)  
2nd: 2nd month (5th week) – End of 4th month (16th week)  
3rd: 5th month (17h week) – End of 6th/7th month (24th week/28th week)

* * *

**XII. As Time Surely Passes**

Naruto shifted out of the bed and walked towards the room. He could fell something burning as he left the nice room and entered into the hallway.

Although Itachi had said it was a cottage, it was more like a villa. It had two floors with four bedrooms and three bathrooms all of which were on the second floor. In the first floor, there was a living room, a kitchen and what could be considered a dinning room. It was lovely and almost homey although the outside looked rather wild and in need of some work. He had seen the front porch the first time he tried to leave. Needless to say, Itachi caught him two minutes later.

"Are you burning something?" Naruto asked as he entered the kitchen. His nose wrinkled in distaste at the smell of burnt…food.

"I was attempting to make lunch, Naruto…" Itachi said as he turned towards the boy. Naruto stared at him, for he was still not quite use to seeing Itachi without his Akatsuki coat. He was dressed in simple slacks and a grey long-sleeved shirt. His hair was still tied back but his eyes were the color of coal and his fingernails were plain without a hint of paint.

"Seems like you burnt it," Naruto said as he moved cautiously towards the other shinobi. He had sulked and had not spoken to the older shinobi for a couple days but after a while, he decided it would do no good. Itachi would not let him go (and believe him when he said he had tried more than once to escape) and as he found out, Itachi, just like Sasuke, could actually burn water. If he wished to survive, he was the one that had to cook, he decided after the third day.

He pushed Itachi from the stove. "You damn Uchihas, can't even cook Ramen…" he mumbled as he dumped the burnt food into the trash and pulled out fresh food from the refrigerator.

"Grab some pots," Naruto grumbled as he began to cop the meat into reasonable sizes. Itachi felt his lips quirk upwards as he stared at Naruto. He knew the blond was still angry at him. He doubted that would not truly go away. Yet the boy was beginning to at least warm up to him. Enough so that he was willing to venture out of his room for other reasons than to use the bathroom or attempt an escape. It was true that he did not know how to cook, but he had been managing food without any real damage. It was only recently that Naruto had ventured out and decided to help in the kitchen.

"Cooking isn't that hard, really it isn't. You cut the food. Make sure it has enough flavor, keep it at a reasonable temperature and keep it moving. Yet you and Sasuke somehow manage to ruin everything! Even when I'm kidnapped I still have to do all the housework…" Naruto continued to mutter under his breath.

"I apologize, Naruto. You should be resting and yet you are here taking care of me."

"I'm not taking care of you! I have to eat too ya know and I'm not going to eat anything you make anymore and I'm definitely not eating anything that fucking medic makes. He'll poison me!"

"He would not dare to do such an obvious attempt at your life," Itachi said as he pulled out the pots and placed them near Naruto. Naruto dumped the meat into a pot, added some oil, seasoning and a few pieces of vegetable and then handed it to Itachi. "Put that on the stove and place the heat on _medium_. You got that? Medium, not high. Despite what you think, the food will not cook faster. I will burn faster and then it's not truly cooked inside."

Itachi nodded his head, his lips still tugged into a small smile. He was happy. He watched as Naruto washed his hands and as one of his hands (after both of them were dried with a kitchen towel) landed on his round stomach and rubbed it.

"Does he kick often?" he asked. Naruto turned around, his blue eyes staring at Itachi with flickering emotions.

"He moves a lot…" he finally muttered, "He's goin' to be really active once he's born…" Naruto turned away, but not before Itachi caught sight of his wretched expression.

"Do you hate me, Naruto?" he asked, his coal eyes drilling into Naruto's back.

Naruto was silent for a moment and Itachi, at first, thought he was not going to answer but he did. "I've always felt a sense of anger at you but not because you've wronged me but because you hurt Sasuke…you caused him a lot of pain and he left Konoha because of you… but I never hated you. I always suspected you had your reasons for what you did and I always believed – or maybe wanted to believe- that you loved your brother, deep inside. So no, I don't hate you. There are very few people I could truly say I hate."

Naruto felt arms encircle him and his body became rigid. "Thank you. You do not know how much your words mean to me…There is someone in this world that does not hate me…that does not feel simply fear or indifference when they see me."

"I doubt I am the only one, Itachi…" Naruto said before he pulled away from the embrace and walked towards the vegetables on the counter.

Itachi felt suddenly cold. His coal eyes bled red and with a turn, he headed out of the kitchen. "I must go see what Kabuto is up to…thank you for cooking today, Naruto."

Naruto shrugged. "I've been cooking for the past three days…why would today be any different?"

* * *

"Nothing?" Tsuande mumbled as she stared at the two ANBU in front of her. They shook their heads and she felt something die inside of her. She had sent them, along with four others, in search of any tracks Itachi had left the day they had disappeared. The other four had returned yesterday and today, a full week later, these two had returned empty handed.

"Damn it all to hell…"

"Hokage-sama…if I may?"

"What?" she asked, her dark eyes sweeping over her room.

"The Uchiha, Uchiha Sasuke…he is…I suggest imprisonment, my Lady…he is out of control."

"As if I am not aware of that!"

"I heard what he did to Kimo. The man is still at the hospital, and has yet to wake up from his coma."

Tsunade waved her hand as if in a form of dismissal, "Kimo will wake up within a month. He is not in any danger. His mind just needs to recover. But assure you, Uchiha will be dealt with."

"You must understand my Lady," the ANBU said as he cleared his throat. "Uchiha is a good ANBU and I respect him as a fellow Captain, but he is not right in the mind at the moment. Until Uzumaki-san is returned to the village, Uchiha is a liability."

"Once more, I am aware of this. Rest assured, I am going to handle this."

The man bowed. "Thank you, Hokage-sama."

"Dismissed."

They left and Tsunade was left alone to contemplate. With a sigh, and knowing what she had to do, she called one of her ever present guards in.

"I have a message for you to deliver…"

* * *

There were six hundred fifty-four walls in the main compound. There were five hundred forty-six plants in the whole property. They did not have any holes on any of the walls. Steps four and eight creaked when you went up the stairs but not when you went down. The room closest to their room was actually bigger than their own. Their kitchen had sixteen cabinets. Their house had sixty-seven windows or was it seventy-six? He knew the floor was wooden except in the bathrooms. His study was actually smaller than the kitchen. There were four books and two scrolls that contained nothing useful to a ninja in his study. They actually had a rose bush in one of their gardens. There were orchids there as well.

It took Sasuke thirteen hours to finally search every room in every house and decide if he should bother cleaning some of them. It took him fifty-two hours to clean the whole estate, every abandoned house and every long forgotten room.

He cleaned everything, even their kitchen. He had found a list in Naruto's messy handwriting of names. He realized ten hours later that they were baby names, for their baby. He did not leave their room that day after that realization.

It was exactly one week after Naruto's abduction and Sasuke could not remember truly eating. He remembered drinking some water and he vaguely remembered Sakura stopping by and making dinner. He wasn't sure if he ate it or not.

He sat on their bed, leaning against the headboard. The small list was in his hand and he traced the names with his finger, an almost wistful expression upon his face.

"What'cha doing, teme?" someone mumbled in his ears. He turned his head and stared blankly at the figure in front of him. He knew it was not real. Naruto was never transparent, not even a little. His eyes were bluer than that and his hair was not quite that tamed.

Yet he answered. "I'm looking at your handwriting…"

"Now why the hell are you doing something so stupid? You always said you could never read it. You never liked my 'chicken scratch'." The phantom's grin was almost like Naruto's. Almost.

"I love your handwriting," Sasuke mumbled. "Even if it is illegible. I love it. I love it. I love it. I love it now…" Sasuke mumbled and his voice cracked at the ending. The phantom simply smiled, "Teme, you're so weird…" it leaned towards him and Sasuke closed his eyes as the phantom pressed its nonexistent lips on his cheek. He did not feel it and that alone broke his heart. "I love you, Sasuke…"

"My Naruto…I love you…I love you so much…" Sasuke whispered. He opened his eyes and the phantom was gone. It was gone and it took the warmth with it.

Sasuke looked back upon the paper.

_Sora  
__Kyousuke  
__Yukio  
__Minori  
__Gin  
__Akihiko  
__Misaki  
__Kisuke  
_…_Haku_

He read the names out loud and like always, he hesitated on the last one, remembering the boy who nearly killed him and was in turn, almost killed by Naruto.

"Sora…Kyousuke…Yukio…Minori…Gin…Akihiko…Misaki…Kisuke…Ha-" There was a tapping on his window and it dispersed the quiet moment and his thoughts. He turned and saw an ANBU at his window.

He stood and once he opened the window, the shinobi simply handed him a piece of paper. Sasuke nodded curtly before closing the window without a word.

_He's awake._ _– Hokage_

He was vaguely thankful that he had taken a shower and was already dressed as he crushed the note and threw it to a corner and pocketed the small list in the pocket of his shirt, right over his heart.

He went down the stairs, out the door and towards the Hokage in quick steps, his feet barely touching the ground.

He arrived at her office in record time.

"So he's awake?"

"That's what the note said," Tsunade said as she stood up. "Let's go."

"You're letting me see him?" Sasuke asked with a raised eyebrow and a tilt of his head, "Why does this seem suspicious to me?"

"Look Uchiha, if you don't want to go, then don't. The fact is I'll be there and I won't allow you to do anything to him." The Hokage walked past him and Sasuke, after slight hesitation, followed her.

* * *

"I'm sorry Uchiha, but this can't continue. You're going to hurt yourself or someone else. I can't allow that. For Naruto's sake." The room held no air but was filled with a heavy type of fog, a foreign gas. He was leaning against the wall, coughing, the fog entering his lungs. It didn't hurt or irritate. He was mildly reminded of a room with too much incense. He felt himself slide to the floor, his limbs becoming weak and his head fuzzy but he could still see her. She was standing in front of him, completely unaffected (no doubt because it was her own invention) by the fog.

"I'm sorry it has come to this, Uchiha. I promise we'll get him…" Her voice was the last thing he heard and she was the last thing he saw before he closed his eyes. He was drowning in a soft, warm darkness but he could hear giggling in the background, a soft, familiar, shinny laughter and he could see a transparent figure before him. It looked just like Naruto.

* * *

"The baby is just fine, Naruto-san," Kabuto mumbled as he shifted away from Naruto and wrote a couple things down on a small pad. "He's growing quite nicely. At this rate, he could very well survive being born at the end of the sixth month."

Naruto pulled down his shirt as he got into a sitting position and leaned against the headboard. "Wouldn't it be better to wait until the seventh month?" he asked as he stared at the medic with suspicious eyes.

"You are too small Naruto. By the first week of the seventh month the baby needs to be out or we are seriously risking your life and the life of the baby," Kabuto mumbled slowly, his eyes glancing over towards were Itachi stood.

The man stared at him with cold red eyes and Kabuto felt sharp fear enter him as he recalled the other man with those similar eyes.

"Why did you...why did you agree to this?" Naruto mumbled. The question had been bothering him since the day Kabuto stood in front of him a week ago. He could not stand not knowing.

The medic stare turned hazed and unfocused. "I have nothing else to do. Orochimaru-sama is gone and I- I have no real purpose anymore." Something stirred underneath his grey eyes. It was a painful emotion and Naruto felt a reluctant pity for him.

"He is doing this as a repayment of a debt and also for my silence," Itachi mumbled. Naruto glanced towards him before his eyes landed on Kabuto who simply smiled. "True, that did motivate me as well…"

Naruto scoffed, not believing he had actually felt sorry for the bastard.

"You may leave, Kabuto." Itachi dismissed him and Kabuto wasted no time getting his things and leaving the room. Naruto watched him leave, and for a moment, their gaze met and those grey eyes seemed to burn angrily.

"I will see you tomorrow, Naruto-san." And he existed the room.

"You have something on Kabuto?"

"There are many people who wish to know his location. He's very…wanted." Itachi said as he gently pushed Naruto down before bringing the comforter over him. "Why don't you rest a bit, Naruto?"

"I don't want to," Naruto mumbled, his blue eyes staring at Itachi with a hint of annoyance. "I think you're confused. I'm not a kid, I'm _having_ one though."

Itachi's lips quirked upwards, "I am aware of this but you need to be taken care of…"

Naruto scoffed. "Oh, you and Sasuke are definitely brothers. Obsessive, possessive and on most occasions aggressive with a control and overprotective streak a mile long. Thank god my kid is going to have me as a-" Naruto's sentence broke half way. He dug himself deeper into the mattress, his back towards Itachi. "Night."

Itachi felt a heavy breath leave him. "Good night, Naruto."

* * *

"You are not to return without either Naruto or a clue of where he and Itachi are. Am I understood?"

"Hai!" the cry rang and echoed within the room. Tsunade looked at them as they pulled down their mask and felt something tighten in her stomach.

Neji, Shikamaru, Chouji, and Kiba. It brought memories of those years ago when these same people, along with Naruto, went and tried to bring back Sasuke. It made her uneasy.

They disappeared but the uneasy didn't and she closed her eyes as she laid her head on her desk.

* * *

"He's betrayed us. He has the boy with him and has not brought him to us!" one of the figures mumbled as she shifted into a more comfortable position on the uneven ground.

"Easy, Konan…" Pain mumbled, at least one of him did. He tilted his head as he stared at Kisame's standing form. "Are you certain?"

"He took him! Right under their nose and now he's somewhere with the little brat! He even told me he was no longer following Akatsuki's order. That he had his own agenda!"

"Why didn't you stop him?" Tobi asked, his voice holding its own smile and mockery. Kisame growled, "Obviously you've forgotten who Itachi is."

"Coward, hm." Someone mumbled in the corner. It was Deidara.

"Shut it, blondie!" Kisame hissed.

"Don't wanna, un."

Something resembling a growl escaped his lips, "Like you would have done anything different."

"I've wanted a chance to fight the Uchiha for a long time, hmm. I would have taken it, un!"

"Truly, Deidara?" Pain, a different one, said with a small smirk. "Well then, why don't you go and bring the traitor here or perhaps kill him?"

"Me?" Deidara said with something close to surprise. "Why me, un?"

"We wouldn't want to deprive you of the chance of giving Uchiha Itachi what he 'deserves'."

Deidara pushed himself off the wall. "Fine, Tobi come on, un."

"No, you shall go alone. If you need help, Tobi will be there."

"Ya're sending me alone?" Deidara said with a raised eyebrow, "Ain't there a rule or something against that, un?"

"Tobi will not be far off…"

Deidara's eyes narrowed as he stared into those unusual eyes. "Fine, un," he muttered, peeved. He turned and with something similar to a pout, left the room.

Tobi turned towards Pain, the one who had spoken the most and tilted his head. "Now why you doing something like that? At this rate, we'll lose all the members!"

"I do not trust, Deidara. Sasori was what kept Deidara here faithfully. Sasori is long gone…and my faith in Deidara is diminishing. This is his test to prove himself. Let him be killed by the Uchiha if he is not truly loyal."

"How you going to know?" Konan with a mixed expression. "I mean…how is this a test?"

"Let's see what Deidara does…let us simply see." Pain mumbled. "Tobi…you will follow him but do not let yourself be seen or sensed. I have given him warning that you will be close."

"K!" Tobi chirped as he jumped from foot to foot. He turned and walked out the same way Deidara did but with a spring in his steps all the while humming.

"You sure this is a good idea?" Konan said. Pain shrugged, "The worst that can happen is that we lose Deidara. We have already lost Itachi…"

"True, true…"

* * *

Because I'm super impatient, I'm posting this up without it getting betaed by my beta. Sorry!

So what'cha think? I'm a bit behind with _Naruto_ although I am aware of what's going on. But tell me if I do get something wrong or something…-sigh- I haven't truly grasped/learned all of the characters'….characteristics but I did try my best so sorry if I'm like WAY off.

Uhh… for those of your worrying, no this will not be Itachi/Naruto! Nope, nope, nope!

Hmmm…oh, those names, one of them is going to be the baby's, let's see if you guys can find out which ones. I'll give you a clue, it won't be Haku. Although that will be a name for one of their kids later on -smile- lil' Haku.

So yeah, those of you who said Kabuto, you were right! -smile- see, it was an easy enough guess! Anyway, just in case, no you guys weren't imagining it. There was a bit of Orochimaru/Kabuto hints in there. There will be a little more in later chapters. Sorry if it makes you uncomfortable.

Let's see, we are on the 17th week…by the 25th, the baby is going to be born! So we have no more than two chapters before the baby is born! YAY!

-P.S. Sorry if it's a short update but…meh…wanted to get it out!

Also, as you guys have noticed, there are some things I am using from the manga and some things I'm not. Let's just say that pretty much everything from when Naruto and group went in search of Sasuke at Orochimaru's lair has happened. After that, it's fair game!

Oh! I've decided! One child now and twins later on! -grin-


	13. XIII Unfair

-**A Clan's Pride** -

**Summary:** "He can keep his heir and I will keep you…do we have a deal?" That voice was low and almost caring and he, for the first time, pitied him.

**Warnings:** Yaoi; Mpreg; Angst; Language; Sexual Situations;

**Disclaimer:** Let's keep it short and swift: don't own it..

**Pairing(s):** SasuNaru, one-sided ItaNaru; ShinoKiba, GaaNeji. Hints of LeeSakura, hints of Orochimaru/Kabuto

--

15 Week Pregnant- Abduction (Thursday)

16 Week Pregnant- Sasuke's "Imprisonment" (Friday)

18 Week Pregnant- Kabuto disappears

19 Week Pregnant- Kabuto reappears

20 Week Pregnant- Kimo Awakes (Saturday)

21 Week Pregnant- Lead- dead end.

22 Week Pregnant- Another lead- dead end.

23 Week Pregnant-

24 Week Pregnant- Promising lead. Deidara

25 Week Pregnant- Birth (Wednesday)

**The Stages:**

1st: Seal placed – End of 1st month (4th week)  
2nd: 2nd month (5th week) – End of 4th month (16th week)  
3rd: 5th month (17h week) – End of 6th/7th month (24th week/28th week)

**XIII. Unfair**

Kabuto was not the type of person to let his emotions rule but this situation, he had to admit, he was not acting entirely like himself.

He remembered the first time he truly became acquainted with Uzumaki Naruto. The boy was unpredictable, too optimistic and truly a potential danger. He had seen the signs and although he had given him some notice, he did not give him the attention, the awareness, such a problem would require so as to truly see that the potential danger was not potential but inevitable.

If he had seen it, he could have realized that Naruto would be the cause of Orochimaru's downfall, it didn't matter that it was by Sasuke's hand. Sasuke had been so close, so truly close to reaching that point where he could not turn back, where one's heart was devoured and their conscience silenced by their ambitions. He had slowly lost the little light within him- but then who shows up but the damn Uzumaki! Sasuke had stared at Naruto with indifferently. He fought Naruto and thus followed orders. Yet Kabuto saw how Sasuke's slow transformation began to reverse itself and a little of his own self appeared behind the cracked mask.

Once they reached their new lair, Sasuke had stayed in his chosen room for nearly a week. When he had come out, he was…broody. During his stay with them, Sasuke had been an emotionless void, nothing affected him except one thing- one fucking encounter with the blond and suddenly, he's a moody teenager.

Kabuto had warned Orochimaru but his master was too far into his plan and Kabuto had no real proof, nothing to explain his feelings of unease about the Uchiha. All he felt was a tightening in his stomach. Not long after, Sasuke's mask had finally broken and he snapped.

Kabuto wanted revenge. He would hurt Sasuke where it would hurt him the most. He would destroy his life and his future. And Naruto…he was going to suffer for altering Sasuke, for destroying Kabuto's life. For taking away everything from him.

It was not fair…he placed a hand on his stomach and felt the familiar pain in his heart. It truly wasn't.

His eyes seemed to smolder and turn a darker shade. He would make Naruto feel his pain and it wouldn't end there. He didn't care if Itachi killed him, tortured him afterwards. He felt nothing…all that kept him going was the thought of revenge.

With a quick glance behind him, he left his room through the only window and left the large secluded property. Maybe…maybe he could find something else to live for…maybe…

--

Naruto awoke to the sight of Itachi. The man sat in the chair closest to the bed, his posture straight and rigid. His eyes were obsidian and they glittered with something close to joy.

"You are awake."

"No, I'm sleeping," Naruto mumbled but it lacked any real bite.

"What are you doing here? Don't you got your own room?" Naruto asked. It was something that had bugged him for- well, since he was there.

Itachi was always there when he awoke; even if he awoke abruptly on the middle of the night. He was always there.

"I do," Itachi said evenly. "But I prefer to stay here with you. You calm me."

"Really? Damn it if you're the first to say I actually _calm_ things down instead of…well do the opposite."

Itachi merely titled his head. "I doubt I am the only one…your child is comforted by you and it is not even born."

Naruto, still lying down on the bed, his body almost completely covered with the comforter, bit his lips nervously. "It's been…many weeks, he'll be born soon."

"Have you picked a name?"

"I- I made a list of boy names awhile ago. Never showed Sasuke though."

"And if it's a girl? Have you picked a name for a girl?"

"He's not a girl. I can tell. He's going to be strong and loyal and mischievous and arrogant…"

A heartbroken expression twisted Naruto's feature. "He's gonna be a nice mix of Sasuke and me. I can tell."

Itachi stayed silent, his gaze drilling into Naruto's. The boy didn't realize when the older Uchiha had move but he was no longer in the seat but on the bed.

Naruto let out a small shriek as he tried to distance himself from the older man but Itachi took hold of him and pinned him down.

"Naruto-san," Itachi mumbled, "Will you ever see me with the same eyes you see my little brother?"

Naruto stared at him and the same feeling of pity as before clawed at him. "No…no…no…" Naruto mumbled as he shook his head slowly. "I could never stop loving Sasuke…never…never…never…you, Itachi…you were meant for someone else…"

"I am a traitor and a murderer, just like him. We come from the same family. We resemble each other yet you will forever choose him?"

Naruto's eyes drifted to somewhere- anywhere- that wasn't into Itachi's eyes. They shined almost sadly and it was almost unbearable for Naruto.

"I will stay here…I promised and I realized I can't leave…not in this condition. When my child is born and delivered to Konoha, our promise, our deal, will be in stone, but I cannot and will not love you…not like I love Sasuke…not even close…"

Itachi's grip on his shoulder tightened and Naruto winced. "Itachi-"

"I won't let you go. I won't." Itachi said, his eyes bleeding a deep red. He leaned and for a moment, Naruto thought the man was going to kiss him, but he didn't.

He dug his face into Naruto's shoulder. Naruto felt lips pressing where his shoulder and neck met. "I will not let you go…you are my only light…"

"No…you have stolen me…you're light is somewhere else…searching…and lost."

Itachi remained silent but he did not pull away and Naruto stayed completely still, the only movement was his chest and the occasional kick of his baby.

--

He arrived at the lair without much trouble. It had been abandoned and exactly as he had left it. He hadn't expected it to change.

He walked down the familiar hallway, trying in vain to push away the memories. He kept walking.

"_Kabuto-kun, you make me quite happy, do you know that?"_

"_You are truly a treasure, my Kabuto-kun…"_

"_Will you truly do this for me, Kabuto-kun?"_

"_Do you love me, Kabuto-kun?"_

"_My heart beats a bit faster when you are around, Kabuto-kun. Does this make you happy?"_

"_You have beautiful eyes…"_

"_I would like it very much if my greatest accomplishment had your eyes."_

_-_

"…_Kabuto-kun…you're bleeding…" those golden eyes seemed to dim, "I hope you can fix that…I don't want you to die …"_

"_No…no…I'll fix you up…I can do it…just please…hold on a bit…" He reached out his only hand and held it on top of the wound. The dark haired man simply chuckled. "You're too cute, Kabuto-kun. Are you going to try to heal me? You'll die…"_

"_I can do it! Just- just shut up and let me concentrate!"_

"_Kabuto-kun, are you angry at me? I would prefer if you were not…smile sweetly at me, Kabuto-kun."_

"_Don't- don't do this, not now! Please…just…please…I know you don't care for me as much as I do for you…but please…for me….please…"_

"_Kabuto-kun…do you know that you make my heart beat faster? No one has ever done that before…" the man mumbled. His eyes closed and he seemed to be having trouble breathing. He opened his eyes and they truly were dimming. _

"_I think I might have fallen for you…Kabuto-kun…you are too kind to this demon…can you smile for this demon? Just a small one…"_

"_No…please…wait…please…just- just a little more…" Kabuto pushed the little bit of chakra he had into the seriously wounded man._

"_I'm sorry…" the man mumbled, that sly smile on his face. "It seems I won't be keeping my promise. I am abandoning you…to the wolves and to the larger snakes out there…"_

"_If you do this, I'll – I'll…" Kabuto felt no pain, despite the fact that a chunk of his body was no longer part of him. He did not feel the blood flowing from his body but he felt his mind starting to darken and he could feel the man's weak chakra beginning to disappear. _

"_Don't hate me…" the man mumbled as he reached up a hand towards Kabuto's face and caressed the cold face almost lovingly. "Not you…not you…anyone but you…" _

_Kabuto felt a sob leave him and he leaned down so as to press his lips against the man's. "No…no…I- I don't hate you…no…never…never…never…never…"_

"_Well that's good…" his voice was soft and Kabuto barely heard him. "I'm kinda sad though…I really wanted to see my heir with your eyes…can you at least give me your sweet smile? One more…just another one…"_

_Kabuto felt his heart stop but he did. He smiled and his hand rested itself against the large, pale one on his face. "See…I gave you what you wanted…now…now give me something…just stay with me. Please…I never asked for anything…"_

"_I'm sorry…" the smile was gone and those eyes, although dim seemed sad. "Don't think I can do that…but I can give you this…" the man leaned forward, despite Kabuto's protest. "I'm quite in love with you, Kabuto-kun…"_

_It was raining when Kabuto left the lair and he collapsed in the middle of a forest. He had managed to stop the bleeding…but he did not care. _

_He touched his stomach and felt his heart stop. It was gone…he couldn't feel it…it was gone._

_-_

He reached the room and with a swing, opened the door. The place was a mess, as he excepted. He had left quickly after Sasuke had betrayed them for he knew there would be people after him. Orochimaru was not exactly loved by many.

Most of the equipment was trashed and burned and broken beyond repair. Ash from the fire still resided and the lights did not work.

With a sigh and a click of his flashlight, he began to look.

He did not know why he had come back really. To be honest, he had promised himself not to return. It hurt too much. He had been happy. He may have been hated and been a traitor, he may not have been a _good_ person, but he had been happy.

He had been with the person he cared for most of all. He did not care what others thought of him, for he had seen a side of him that no one else had. He had been happy.

They were happy. Even with Sasuke there, emotionless and vacant, they had been happy. They were going to have a-

He slammed his fist against the wall, his eyes stinging and his heart beating ever so quickly. No, no, no, no! He did not come here to reminisce or anything of such.

He came here to…to search…

He knew it was useless. He had done everything in his power as a medic, besides the "forbidden" seal, to find a way to make Orochimaru's wish a reality. It took time and many test subjects but he had done it.

He remembered Sasuke had walked in while he was injecting himself with the serum and had asked with a dead tone what he was doing. Of course he had not told him the truth. He had returned to the procedure, telling Sasuke to leave for he had an operation to do. When Sasuke asked on whom, he had replied on himself. The boy had left quickly afterward with merely a glance towards the medic.

Four days later, Sasuke fought Naruto.

He slammed his fist against the wall once more. No, no, no, no, no! Stop it! Stop, stop, _stop_!

He kneeled beside a box that was in the corner of the room. It had not been burned by the fire and it seemed completely untouched since the last time Kabuto was in there.

He opened the box carefully, and with a sigh, looked through it. It was samples. Samples of DNA, samples of medicines, of poisons.

"Of course this is a waste of time…there is no second chances…I won't have a second chance…" he muttered as he closed the box. He stood up, his eyes closing as he leaned against the wall.

With another sigh, he pushed himself off the room. "I should go before Itachi gets irritated…" he mumbled to himself as he ran a hand through his hair. It was loose from the ponytail he had once held it in when he was younger.

"_You have such nice hair, Kabuto-kun…soft and silky…"_

He walked out of the room and headed towards the exit of the lair. He passed his old room and soon after, he passed Orochimaru's.

"_You're too cute, Kabuto-kun. You sometimes look so innocent…"_

"_Hmm…you are quite remarkable, Kabuto-kun. I am glad you are by my side."_

"_You are truly odd, Kabuto-kun. I am quite fine, I would think." _

Kabuto stopped abruptly and slowly, as if the memory was playing back to him gradually, his eyes widened and something close to hope slammed against his chest.

With a quick shift in his feet, he was back to his room. He breathed in deeply and without further hesitation, opened the door.

--

"Where have you been?" Itachi asked and Kabuto swirled around, his heart hitting his ribcage. He had not sensed the other.

Schooling his features he shrugged. "I had places to be. Things to check out…"

"Hmm…"

Kabuto stared at him for a moment longer before he turned and continued on his way. "I will go check on Naruto-san tomorrow. I have something to look into and it will take me the rest of the day…"

"Of course," Itachi said. He watched the younger man leave, all the while wondering what the hell was in the box.

--

He heard beeping. It was near yet he couldn't tell from where it came. He did not realize he had opened his eyes, nor that he was staring at the ceiling. All he felt was numbness.

"So you truly are awake…" a voice mumbled and he shifted. It was her. She stood near the door, her hands in her pockets.

"Hokage-sama," he whispered and his voice was hoarse.

"Kimo," she responded with a curt nod and hard, brown eyes. "I hope you had a good rest. You won't be resting much until we find Naruto."

Kimo's eyes widened, "No, no, no! You- you can't let him near me! He'll kill me!"

"Who, Uchiha Sasuke?" she snorted, "Trust me when I say killing you would be him being merciful."

"Hokage-sama…"

"Look, he won't hurt you. Not now anyway. I just need to know all that you know…"

"I-I-"

"_**Now**_ Kimo or you can have another talk with the Uchiha."

"No, no! I'll talk, I really will…just…just keep him away from me!"

Hokage simply smiled. "That's good…"

--

Deidara was beginning to get annoyed. Really, truly. This was stupid.

He had found the Uchiha two weeks ago. Yet he had not gone back towards Akatsuki nor had he confronted the older member.

It annoyed him to admit that he was quite curious. He had never expected Itachi to be so…caring, especially to the boy he had originally been after so as to sacrifice him.

He had entered the house three times, and in all those times, he was always surprised that his presence went unnoticed.

The medic spent most of his time in his room unless he was giving Uzumaki a checkup and Itachi barely left the blond's side.

It was almost endearing, if it wasn't so pathetic.

Yet, that wasn't really what was annoying him. What was annoying him was his own hesitation. He felt almost bad for the damn Uchiha. He was not truly known for sympathizing but he couldn't help but do so with the poor guy.

Yet that didn't stop him from _**wanting**_ to fight the Uchiha, or from abducting the blond and taking him to Akatsuki.

With a sigh, he made up his mind. _"I'll wait a little bit more…just a little bit more…hm."_

_--_

It had started to hurt to move last week, Naruto decided as he lay in bed. It hurt now more than ever. The baby was kicking him again, but with every kick, he winced. He rubbed his stomach, his back aching as was his chest.

_Damn it_, did it hurt.

"Tsk…we can't wait anymore, Naruto-san. The baby must be born now, or you're risking a hemorrhage which could and most likely will cause your baby's death, and your own."

"But- it's…just a bit more…?" Naruto asked as he closed his eyes against the pain. He felt Kyuubi rattle within him, seemingly unhappy with what was occurring.

"Naruto, Kabuto-san knows what he is doing. You are being stubborn," Itachi said and something close to irritation entered his voice. Naruto, after hesitating for a moment, nodded. He released his grip on his necklace and the shield fell.

"That necklace is rather intriguing," Kabuto mumbled as he walked towards Naruto.

"Which one?" Naruto muttered darkly, the pain taking over him.

Kabuto simply smiled, "Do not worry, Naruto-san. All will be well."

Naruto managed to open his eyes and as he stared at Kabuto, for some reason, he felt something was different about him. He seemed almost happy…almost blissful yet the coldness did not leave his eyes and that hatred he seemed to radiate was still there.

Naruto didn't know what to think. The baby shifted and Naruto hissed in pain. He was too preoccupied to think after that.

--

Anyway, completely unbeated because once more, I'm bouncing on my seat to get this out to you guys! So, I've only checked it...once, twices perhaps! so PLEASE, if you guys find ANY ERRORS OR MISTAKES, LET ME KNOW!! smile

Well…ok, sorry if it seems like it's rushed guys! So sorry, I just think it truly is being rushed but I think you guys have waited long enough for the baby to be born! So, there once more was hints of Kabuto and Orochimaru. Believe it or not, they will have part in the sequel or should I say that- what no…nope! Can't spoil it!

Anyway, I say we have like maybe five more chapters to do…. We're reaching the end guys! Thanks for always reviewing guys!

**PLEASE READ**

**Just so you know, ****there are some things I am using from the manga and some things I'm not. Let's just say that pretty much everything from when Naruto and the "new" group went in search of Sasuke at Orochimaru's lair has happened. After that, it's my own design.**


	14. XIV Chances and Choices

-**A Clan's Pride** -

**Summary:** "He can keep his heir and I will keep you…do we have a deal?" That voice was low and almost caring and he, for the first time, pitied him.

**Warnings:** Yaoi; Mpreg; Angst; Language; Sexual Situations;

**Disclaimer:** Let's keep it short and swift: don't own it..

**Pairing(s):** SasuNaru, one-sided ItaNaru; ShinoKiba, GaaNeji. Hints of LeeSakura; hints of Orochimaru/Kabuto

**AN:**

15 Week Pregnant- Abduction (Thursday)

16 Week Pregnant- Sasuke's "Imprisonment" (Friday)

18 Week Pregnant- Kabuto disappears

19 Week Pregnant- Kabuto reappears

20 Week Pregnant- Kimo Awakes (Saturday)

21 Week Pregnant- Lead- dead end.

22 Week Pregnant- Another lead- dead end.

23 Week Pregnant-

24 Week Pregnant- Promising lead. Deidara

25 Week Pregnant- Birth (Wednesday)

**The Stages:**

1st: Seal placed – End of 1st month (4th week)  
2nd: 2nd month (5th week) – End of 4th month (16th week)  
3rd: 5th month (17h week) – End of 6th/7th month (24th week/28th week)

* * *

**XIV. Chances and Choices**

It hurt. God, it truly did hurt. Kabuto had left shortly after the shield had dispersed so as to get everything he needed. He had returned with a small closed kit, his glasses gone and his hair tied back.

He laid the kit on the nightstand and with a smile, turned towards Naruto. "Now, has the pain gotten worse?"

Naruto merely nodded, his eyes closed.

"Well I'm sorry to say it's going to get even worse," Kabuto mumbled with a pleasant tone and smile as he opened the kit and took out a small scalpel.

"Lift your shirt…actually never mind." Kabuto grabbed the edge of Naruto's shirt and tore the shirt off.

"Can't have you moving now, Nauto-san," Kabuto said as he placed his hand over Naruto's stomach. "This is going to sting…a lot."

Naruto screamed. It did not sting, it fucking _hurt_. He clamped a hand over his face, trying to keep as quiet as possible. Kabuto felt something cold against his throat. "Is this truly necessary, Kabuto-san?"

"Of course," he said with a glance towards Itachi. "I take pride in my work and I do not sabotage my own work. I have more pride than that. Kindly remove your blade."

"Careful with your next moves, Kabuto," Itachi mumbled but he indeed did remove his blade from near his throat.

"Thank you," Kabuto said as he returned towards what he was doing. His hand that lay on Naruto's stomach retracted before he placed two fingers on the now visible seal. "Don't move," Kabuto ordered and Naruto could feel the foreign chakra enter him. He wanted to squirm but it seemed like Kabuto read his mind for he threw him a stern glance. "You move and I could kill your child by mistake…do not move."

Naruto, despite the fact that he did not trust the man, knew he was telling the truth. Kabuto, if anything, was prideful. He was prideful of his knowledge as a medic and he was not the type that would sabotage his own work, no matter what he personally thought.

"Alright…I think I got it," Kabuto mumbled as he retracted his hand away. He took a syringe and a small bottle and with quick movements, prepared the syringe.

"What's that for?" Naruto mumbled. The pain had dulled down and although it still hurt, it was definitely not as bad as before.

"Trust me when I say you'll want this later…" Kabuto mumbled as he looked down at the seal with a thoughtful frown. "One…two…left…down…three…two…one…" Kabuto muttered to himself as he traced the tattooed seal on Naruto's stomach.

"Here it is…" he said with a small, smug smile before he injected Naruto right besides his forefinger. Naruto hissed in pain and Itachi seemed to grow uneasy, his chakra slipping.

"If you can't control yourself, I'll ask you to leave, Itachi-san," Kabuto said with a roll of his eyes and a small frown as he retracted the needle and rested it on the stand.

Naruto felt a numbing sensation take over him and his body seemed to relax and it was just then that he realized how tense and rigid he had been.

"You must tell me if you suddenly start feeling any pain," Kabuto said as he finished testing Naruto's pulse. He grabbed the scalpel and with slow, steady movement, cut threw the seal. The seal began to fade and only when it was gone, did Kabuto proceed. He had placed the first scalpel down while he had waited for the seal to fade and had taken an even larger knife from his kit.

"What are you doing?"

"What you ordered me to do," Kabuto said with an annoyed frown. "Must you hover over me?"

"Hmm…I am just making sure you don't slip…"

"Fuck you," he growled but his concentration nor his movements slipped. Naruto's steady breathing started to shortened and soon enough, he was panting.

"Hey…I can't- I can't breathe."

"You'd be passed out by now if you couldn't breathe. Don't worry; you're having trouble breathing simply because you are losing blood. The injection I gave you was to solve the problem of blood lose…"

"I still can't breathe!"

"Hmm…I'm sorry."

"Bastard!"

"Now, now, don't try to distract me. One false move and…well…let's not think so negatively," he said with a pleasant smile.

"Kabuto…" Itachi warned, his eyes narrow and spinning.

The medic shrugged, "Sorry, sorry." He placed the large knife down and glanced towards Naruto. "Take deep breaths, and no matter what, continue to take _deep_ breaths."

Naruto did as instructed but his breath nearly stopped in his throat as he felt something foreign enter his stomach. Yet he continued to breathe deeply and after probing, Kabuto's hands retracted and with it, a baby. A cord still connected the baby and Naruto and with a simple flick, Kabuto cut it.

The baby at first did not scream. The room was silent and Naruto stared at his baby with wide eyes before they closed halfway, tears beginning to collect. A sharp cry filled the room and it took Naruto a moment to realize it was his child crying.

"Well now, it seems he takes after you, Naruto-san," Kabuto said with a cooled expression as he cleaned the baby at the other side of the room. There was a basin of warm water there and a nice cloth.

"My baby, my baby, give him to be…" Naruto said as he reached out his hands.

"I have to close the wound first, Naruto-san…" Kabuto said as he handed the baby towards Itachi.

He walked towards Naruto and his only natural hand rested upon the still open wound. His chakra swirled around the wound and once more, the seal appeared. It began to close in front of his very eyes before all that was left was the seal.

"My baby! Give me my baby!" Naruto continued to cry, his eyes wide as he stared at Itachi with frightened eyes.

"Do not worry, Naruto. I would not deprive you of holding your baby for a couple of hours…"

The comment seemed to strike Naruto deeply but his hands were still outstretched. He had somehow managed to move into a somewhat sitting position, his back against the headboard.

His arms embraced his wrapped child and a smile curled his lips. "My baby boy…hi…hi…you're so calm right now…I can't- I can't believe you're here…" he said softly towards the baby. As if he heard him, the baby opened his eyes and stared up almost questioningly.

"Blue eyes…you have blue eyes…"

"Most new born do. They might change later on…" Kabuto said with a small shrug. He was near the bed, seemingly busy putting everything back into the kit.

"Itachi-san…I must speak with you for a moment…" Kabuto said with a glance towards Itachi.

Itachi simply raised in eyebrow in question and Kabuto sighed. "It is rather important or else I would be packing my things and leaving…"

"Fine…" Itachi said with a frown and his eyes red. Kabuto's stare shifted. They walked out and Naruto barely noticed them leave.

"My little baby boy…" Naruto mumbled. "You have Sasuke's hair…"

* * *

"What is it, Kabuto?"

"It is about Naruto-san and his child…"

"Yes?" he asked, his arms crossing in front of him and his eyes narrowing.

"I wish to have a private word with Naruto…"

"That will not be possible," Itachi hissed, his eyes spinning and his hands already holding a kunai.

Kabuto simply smiled a small smile. "You seem to be under the impression that I was asking…" he said. Itachi, before he knew it, was surrounded by a high pitched, grating noise. He felt his legs weaken and then his whole body seemed to be no longer under his brain's control. He felt himself fall and then hit against a sharp, edged surface. He tumbled and continued to fall until he made impact with a cold, hard surface.

He looked up and stared at Kabuto who stood at the top of the stairs with the same small smile. "Do not worry. The paralyzation will wear off in half an hour…plenty of time for me to have my conversation with Naruto-san." Kabuto stared at his raised, metallic arm. "This does have its uses…"

* * *

"Hmmm…What about Akihiko?" the child merely blinked at him and Naruto shook his head. "No…geez…this is hard…ok…well what about Kyousuke? Or Sora? Or Minori?"

The child seemed to whimper and Naruto caressed a soft cheek with one finger. "I'm sorry…ok…let's do this one at a time, k?"

"What about Yukio?" he asked just as the door opened and walked in Kabuto.

"Where's Itachi?" Naruto asked as he noticed how the young medic closed the door before him and was alone.

"He is unable to come upstairs," Kabuto said with a cold smile. "But that does not matter. I must finish checking your baby, Naruto…"

"No…what…get away-" Kabuto, in one quick move, removed the baby from Naruto's arm and just as the blond reached out of the baby, a sharp pain went through him. He curled into himself, all the while biting his lip.

"Amazing what this metallic arm can do," Kabuto said as he held the baby in his arms. He whimpered as if missing his parent's touch.

"Shh…there, there. Do not fuss too much…" Kabuto mumbled as he looked down at the baby. It seemed to quiet down, his eyes closing.

"Kabuto- no…please…give me back my baby!" Naruto said as he stared at Kabuto with pleading eyes, all the while trying to move.

"Did you know I was pregnant at one time?" Kabuto said, his eyes staring down at the baby. Naruto felt himself choke on his own spite.

"Wha-what?" he whispered.

"I was pregnant. The time you came with your new group to retrieve Sasuke, I was already pregnant." Kabuto mumbled. He took a seat on the chair Itachi often occupied.

"You used the seal?" Naruto whispered.

"No. Such seals do not work on me," Kabuto said as he caressed a soft cheek. "No. It was not that simple," Kabuto said.

"H-how…"

Kabuto's eyes seemed to darken. "Do you know how much of my inside I had to carve out? Do you know in how much pain I was in? How long it took to come up with the fucking serum!? Do you know how much time and fucking test and experiments and test subjects –sometimes the test subjects being me- it took? Do you?! Of course not!" Kabuto hissed, his eyes glaring at Naruto angrily.

Naruto stared at him, his eyes pleading all the while his arms moved in a useless attempt to grab his child. Kabuto, as if to torture him more, moved the chair further away from the bed.

"I- we, we were happy," Kabuto whispered. "I'm not saying we were good people because Orochimaru was anything but, but we were happy. He was _**changing**_." Kabuto shook his head as if trying to remove an ugly thought from his mind. "He was not the same man you met…he was changing, slowly and that's the only reason Sasuke killed him so easily! Because he was letting his guard down! He was changing and what does that fucking bastard do?! He not only creates a whole right through his chest, he practically ripped him in half! You- you were the cause of all of this! If you had just stayed in that god forsaking village, if you had just accepted that the ties between you and Sasuke were cut, none of this would have happened! I would have my child with me! I- I…" Those cold eyes slowly seemed to change as they filled themselves with pain and sorrow. Naruto could see tears beginning to collect and he felt the same old pity for the medic start to twist his heart.

"Kabuto-"

"No! No! You will listen! You will listen to what you have done to me!" he screamed and it seemed to startle the baby in his arms. "You took everything from me! You and your fucking lover! You took my life, my future, my family, my own love! We were not perfect and we most likely have gone to hell but fuck, you ruined everything! Everything!"

The baby began to cry and Kabuto's hold on the baby tightened as he shifted, trying to smooth the baby in his arms. "He- he wasn't even born. He hadn't even begun to move yet…and he killed him. He didn't care one bit. He knew, I know he knew! If he was such a genius, he would have realized it! He would have realized it! Yet he attacked me. I wasn't even in his way…I was heading towards Orochimaru. He glanced at me as if contemplating what he should do with me and then he strikes me! He killed my baby! My baby! Ou- our baby! What makes the two of you so special? Why should you two have a baby when he and I were denied that? He- he, he never- he never even got to feel my baby's movements…or anything…Orochimaru…I don't care what you think of him but he- he really wanted a child…he wanted…" Kabuto lips were tugged into a small sad smile and those tears started to fall, "He really wanted an heir with my eyes…he used to say. Do you know what he said to me as he laid there dying? Do you know what he was feeling?"

Naruto did not say a word, his body limp on the bed.

"He wasn't even angry! He was sad! Sad! He was sad that he wasn't going to see his child and he was worried! Worried about me! He loved me! He did! He did! He did! God, he did and you took that away from me!"

"Kabuto, I-"

"You what? All you care about is your precious baby," Kabuto said with a small sneer but the tears did not stop falling. "He is quite adorable…" he mumbled as he looked at the baby before walking towards his kit.

He searched through the kit and took out a kunai.

"No! Please! No! No! No!" Naruto pleaded as he tired to stand up as he noticed the dagger. Kabuto did not glance at him. "What makes you so special? Why do you get to keep your baby when your lover robbed me of mine?"

"Kabuto!"

"Do you think you love your baby more than I loved mine while he was merely cells and chakra?"

"No, Kabuto, no, please-"

Kabuto stared at the blond on the bed with a detached expression. His dagger was positioned against the baby and it would only take a little pressure, hardly anything really, to kill him.

"Kabuto…" Naruto said, his voice coming out rough and pleading. His eyes seemed to flicker red but did not stay that color for long.

Kabuto smiled. "I disconnected you from Kyuubi…it will be a while before you'll be able to use it…"

"No…"

"I have something to tell you, Naruto-san," Kabuto said with a small grin.

Naruto simply stared at him with something close to anger mixed with fear.

* * *

Itachi felt his hand twitch and he growled as his body refused to obey him, at least not fast enough. Damn him. Damn him, damn him! When he gets his hand on him…

He heard footsteps and then something close to giggling.

"Oh how the mighty fall," someone whispered. He had at one point managed to get himself from off the floor and against the wall. He looked towards the left and there, stood someone he had not expected.

"You…" he mumbled, his eyes narrowed.

Deidara grinned, "Yep. I'm kinda surprised you haven't sensed me before. Been here for a while now, un."

Itachi shifted his gaze to the wall opposite of him. Deidara made a small tutting noise. "You gonna ignore me, un?"

Itachi returned to what he was doing before. Trying to move.

Deidara walked towards the Uchiha and sat next to him on the last stair. "Hmm…ya better move before that medic does something to ya precious blond…and that little tyke of his, un. Kinda cute."

Itachi felt a muscle on his face twitch but he continued. He felt his other hand shift and he let out a breath. Damn it, this was taking too long!

"Uchiha…" Deidara mumbled. A pale hand landed on Itachi's shoulder and the dark-haired man snapped his red gaze to Deidara. Before he could even contemplate hurting the blonde, he stopped himself. The blond stared at him with serious, light eyes. "I'm supposed to kill ya or take you back…and I'd get a lot more credit if I take the kid, un."

Itachi's eyes narrowed and he opened his to retort but Deidara cut him off. "But I ain't, un," he whispered. Itachi felt Deidara's chakra enter him and slowly, the feeling returned to his body.

"I don't wanna fight ya if you're defenseless and I ain't gonna take the kid yet," he said with a shrug. "I don't wanna, so I'm gonna give you some time to get everything settle and then you and me are gonna fight, un."

"Why are you doing this?" Itachi asked as he stood up.

Deidara shrugged. "Ya're pathetic and I feel sorry for ya, and I always liked little babies. Be a shame if it was killed."

That comment seemed to snap Itachi from his surprise and without wasting any more time, he ran towards the room.

Deidara sighed. "Geez…I'm too nice, umm."

* * *

Naruto stared at Kabuto with wide eyes. "Why?" he asked in barely a whisper.

Kabuto titled his head. "I may be many things and may be willing to do certain things but I am not entirely willing to kill defenseless babies."

Naruto cradled the baby closer to his body, the affects of Kabuto's arm gone because of Kabuto's manipulations. "Kabuto…I am…I am sorry."

Kabuto stared at him coolly. "Do not get me wrong, Naruto. I will never forgive you or Sasuke. You took my first child…but that will not happen again…I will not let a Uchiha take away what is most precious to me…I have gotten a second chance and I will not throw that away for the likes of you."

Naruto stared at him with wide eyes. "You're…you're-"

"Most likely," Kabuto said and his arms wrapped around his middle. "I managed to duplicate the serum and I happened to remember that I had a sample of his DNA in my room from long ago…what did you think I was doing for the past couple of weeks? Staring at walls?"

"I-"

The door flung open and Kabuto was grabbed by the throat. Naruto felt a gasp leave him. "Itachi! No, put him down!"

Red eyes glanced in his direction and at noticing him unhurt and with his child, did indeed let the medic go.

"How dare you-"

"You would not have let me speak with Naruto otherwise," Kabuto said with a glance towards Naruto as he massaged his throat.

Itachi glared, his eyes seeming to darken. "Of course. You were planning to harm him this all time, weren't you?"

"Of course I was," Kabuto said with a shrug and without an ounce of shame. "But unlike before, I have a chance and I will not through that away for someone like him." He turned and his eyes stared at Naruto coolly. "You better pray this works, Naruto-san or I swear I will make you suffer."

Itachi made to grab the man but Kabuto shifted and he was gone. Itachi made to follow him and would have no doubt captured him but Naruto stop him. "Itachi, just- just let him go."

"He will come after you…"

"It doesn't matter. Just let him go, please," Naruto mumbled as he glanced down at his child. "Just please…can you just stop? I don't want to deal with this, I want to spend as much time with Yukio as possible."

"Yukio? Written to mean 'gets what he wants'?" Itachi asked softly as he sat on his regular chair.

"Yeah…he's going to be a little prince," Naruto said with a small smile. "He's going to want for nothing…and- and…oh god…" Naruto whispered as tears started to fall.

"Please, please don't take him away!" he cried. Itachi's soft eyes harden. "He will not stay with you. You will not have a reminder of him with you! Give him to me."

"No!" Naruto whispered harshly as he hugged the baby more tightly towards his chest but not hard enough to hurt him. "Oh god please no! No! NO!" Naruto screamed as Itachi managed to remove his baby form his arms.

"No! Give him back!" he continued to scream as he stood up and followed Itachi as he walked out of the room. The baby began to cry.

"Oh please, let me just hold him for a bit longer! Just-"

"If you continue this, Naruto-san I will leave him in the middle of the forest and have the Fates deal with him."

Naruto's steps stopped and he stood at the very top of the stairs as Itachi continued to walk down the stairs and out of the house. Naruto stayed standing, staring at the bottom of the stairs and tears fell. They fell and he didn't even bother to stop.

Sobs rattled him and they echoed within the room as he let himself lose control. He fell to his knees before he fell further, and he curled within himself. "Yukio, Yukio! No, no!" he sobbed and it shook his thin body.

He was still there when Itachi returned.

* * *

The man did not know what the sound was at first. But as he got closer, he realized that it was a baby crying. Cautiously, he walked towards the child and kneeled beside it. Picking the bundle, he noticed a small note attached to the blanket it was wrapped in.

Reading it quickly, his eyes widened in surprise.

"Rikuru!"

"Sir?"

"Take my place. I must go to the Hokage."

"Of course sir!"

With a nod, he left the entrance of the village and headed towards the Hokage Tower. When he arrived, he did not bother to knock.

"What is the meaning of this?" snapped the Hokage. She stood up, her face twisted in annoyance. She had not been in anything close to a pleasant mood for many weeks now.

"Hokage, this was left at the entrance…the note says it's…"

"What? Oh give me the note! Obviously you've become mute and stupid!" she grabbed the note from his hand. Her eyes widened as she took in what it said and her eyes immediately after landed on the baby.

"How…"

"It seems like the Uchiha managed to find a worthy medic after all."

"I can see that!"

"Hokage…if I may…"

"What?" she whispered as she sat back down, her mind racing. "Perhaps it is best to wake the Uchiha. I know I stated before that it would be better for him to be removed from the situation but now that the baby has entered into the equation…"

"Perhaps…but first…I must make sure the child is truly Naruto's and Uchiha Sasuke…" she stood up and walked towards the ANBU Captain. "Let me have him."

"Of course," he mumbled. With a sigh, the Hokage looked down at the awake baby that seemed to stare at her with curious eyes. She instantly knew that he was indeed their child. A gut feeling, she mused. That didn't stop her from ordering blood test.

The Uchiha would most likely want proof once he awoke…

* * *

So what do you guys think? I hope it wasn't too anti-climatic. If there's something that I don't like, it's anti-climatic "endings". Anyway, hope you guys like it!

We are reaching the end of our story, about four more chapters to go! But do not fret, there will be a sequel. It will involve their children more than anything really.

Anyway, thanks guys, you're just the best. Tell me if I've made any mistakes. It's not beta and I checked it only like once….so yeah…


	15. XV Feelings Of This

-**A Clan's Pride** -

**Summary:** "He can keep his heir and I will keep you…do we have a deal?" That voice was low and almost caring and Naruto, for the first time, pitied him.

**Warnings:** Yaoi; Mpreg; Angst; Language; Sexual Situations;

**Disclaimer:** Let's keep it short and swift: don't own it..

* * *

**XV. Feelings Of...**

That darkness began to fade. He shifted further, wishing to stay in his numb darkness, but no matter how far he leaned, the light crept and took over the dark and it was not long before his surrounds was a blinding light.

"-awake?" he heard and he simply stared at the ceiling, trying to recall what was going on, who the hell-

"You drugged me," he hissed, his eyes glaring into brown ones. His black eyes bled red and he shifted from his resting position.

Tsunade merely nodded. "You were out of control…"

"I-you drugged me!"

"I think we've established that."

"I should kill you."

"Then that'd be pretty bad. Killing the Hokage will no doubt make you unsuitable to take care of your child…"

"My…my what?" he asked, his eyes widening as he stared at the woman in front of him like she was made. "Wait…Naruto! He's- he's here?"

"No," she mumbled, her own brown eyes shining sadly. "He has not been found although Kimo woke up and his information has led us to where they might possibly be staying in. An abandoned resident."

Sasuke simply stared at her, his face pale and his eyes expressing no emotions. She cleared her throat, all of a sudden feeling uneasy. "There is something you must know…"

"Really?" he asked. His gaze shifted to the wall opposite of him and he seemed to be completely indifferent to the whole situation.

"Yes…your son was born two days ago…"

Sasuke glanced at her but his gaze fell back towards the wall. "And you know this how?"

"He was delivered to us, with a note explaining…" Tsunade trailed off, feeling her unease increase at Sasuke's indifference.

"Really…and yet, Naruto is still with Itachi?" Sasuke mumbled and Tsunade noticed how he seemed to smooth the blanket with his hands.

"We're assuming…"

"And how can you be sure that it is truly my child? You are going to take what a note says as truth?"

"I had a sample of Naruto's blood with me from his last checkup and yours wasn't hard to get…" Tsunade said with a small, smug smile. "They match. Little Yukio is your son."

"Yukio…" Sasuke mumbled and the list from long ago flashed in his mind. "Where are my clothes?"

"Right there, in that nightstand." Tsunade said. "If you are planning on leaving, I must check you out first."

"I am not planning on leaving quite yet. I simply need to search for…" Sasuke did not finish his sentence as he dug into the pocket on his shirt and took out a folded piece of paper.

"He made this list…I don't know when but he made it…and he picked names for our child and one of them was Yukio…" Sasuke said softly. His eyes stared tiredly at the piece of paper and Tsunade didn't know if what she was feeling was pity or remorse.

"Uchiha…"

"I want to see my son," he said sharply, the lost look gone and replaced by that stoic mask that the Uchiha were infamous for.

"I do not think-"

"What you think does not matter! I want to see my son this instant!" Sasuke hissed, his eyes red and spinning.

Tsunade sighed. "Fine, fine…but I'll be watching…"

Sasuke didn't seem affected by her comment, his gaze once more on the white wall. Yukio…Yukio…Yukio…

When Tsunade returned, she returned with a bundle in arms. Sasuke turned his gaze towards her and his eyes landed on the bundle. "Is it alive?"

Tsunade snorted. "Of course it is. He's sleeping…your child is not only loud but quite energetic…"

Sasuke felt his lips twitch as he thought of his child being like Naruto. His Naruto…his lovely, lovely Naruto.

"Let me hold him," he said with a forceful tone and Tsunade was reluctant to do so it seemed but she did. "Hold his head…"

"Hmm…" he mumbled as he took his child in his arms and looked down at it. It was a cute baby. He was not as small as Sasuke expected him to be but he was adorable and looked fragile. His face twitched and his mouth open as it yawned. A hand shot up and his little fingers curled as his eyes opened slowly. He stared at Sasuke and Sasuke, for some reason, was surprised that his eyes were blue.

"He has blue eyes…"

"That will most likely change. He will no doubt be a replica of you."

Sasuke did not respond. Instead, he grabbed the small hand and the small fingers curled around his own finger. The baby blinked and then yanked at the finger and Sasuke smiled down at the child. "He's an Uchiha…" Sasuke mumbled as he caressed a cheek with his finger. "Yukio…Yukio…"

"He's a very beautiful boy…"

"He misses his…his mother…" Sasuke said with a small smile that was more a smirk than anything.

"Hmm…really?"

"Yes…can't you see it in his eyes…? This is the first time he's been separated from Naruto."

"He will see his…"mother" soon enough."

"Of that I am sure. I will be going in search of him."

"Are you truly willing to leave your son without a father or mother?"

"I would not make a good father…not without Naruto by my side…"

"Do you know how close to insanity you are?"

"About a hair's width," Sasuke commented dryly, his eyes shifting from the baby to Tsunade. "I am going and I will not allow you to stop me. I stayed here because…because…I do not know why…but I can no longer stand here and wait for you to return him to me…I will return him to this village…and I will kill that man for what he has done…"

"I will not stop you but know what I cannot keep the Council from wishing your head. If they wish, I will have to send for your body…dead."

"Of course," Sasuke mumbled as he smiled down at the baby who simply blinked once more. His eyes seemed to shine with something close to intelligence. "You will take care of him while I am gone?"

"Of course," Tsunade said with a small nod.

"That's good." Sasuke said. He leaned down and kissed his son on the forehead. "He's rather quiet…"

As if he jinxed it, little Yukio seemed to whimper before a full cry left him. Sasuke winced but could not help but chuckle. "Oh, he is definitely Naruto's child."

* * *

"Naruto," Itachi mumbled as he sat on the bed next to Naruto. The blond did not move, his eyes staring ahead and his hand upon his no longer round stomach. "Naruto…"

"What?" he mumbled, his hand caressing his stomach absently. His eyes were glazed and Itachi felt something inside him, something painful.

"We must leave…it has been too long and they have no doubt learned of this place by now…"

Naruto remained silent, his gaze unwavering. Itachi waited almost patiently next to him, deciding silently not to move until Naruto spoke.

"You aren't leaving, are you?" Naruto said, his brows furrowing. "Just like an Uchiha, stubborn and unwilling to notice how much another _does not_ want to talk or see them!"

"True, we Uchihas are not known for being sympathetic to the feelings of others. Do you think your child will be like that?" Naruto's hand connected with Itachi's cheek, the force moving his face.

"Don't! Don't you dare!" Naruto shrieked. "You insensitive, hateful bastard! I have every right, every fucking right to be _**furious**_ with you! You took my child, my first and only child from me! I- I only held him for a moment! You- you asshole! I don't care about our agreement at the moment, at the moment, I want you dead! I hate you! I hate you! I hate you! God I hate you!"

Itachi grabbed Naruto by his arms. His black eyes stared at Naruto almost dully and Naruto felt that hot anger start to quench. "I am sorry…" Itachi said softly and Naruto felt all his anger leave him. For some reason, he could not stay mad at the older Uchiha. He didn't have the energy to. "I-I should not have done what I did…but it cannot be undone. Yukio is in Konoha and you and I have a deal. You must stay with me…until I wish otherwise."

"I will never love you."

"But you will never hate me," Itachi said, "I know this…but that does not make your words hurt less."

"I- I cannot forgive what you have done…not know…perhaps not ever…"

"I…I will live with such a burden then. But I must have you with me. I cannot continue to live without reason…so empty," Itachi said, his eyes bleeding. "If I must…I will- I will help you forget all…" Naruto did not resist. He stared into red, spinning eyes and all he knew was a warm abyss.

"Naruto…"

"Yes?" he asked softly, his blue eyes dull.

"We must leave, quickly," Itachi said with a small smile. "Come on…"

"Yes, Itachi." Naruto stood and once he stood, he stumbled. He was weak and tired, yet he couldn't truly remember why. All he knew was that Itachi…Itachi…he must follow Itachi.

"I've got you," Itachi said as he wrapped his arms around Naruto. "Thank you, Itachi."

"It seems I must carry you," he mumbled as he grabbed the blond and carried him out of the large house bridal style. Naruto did not say anything as they traveled, his eyes simply staring into space and his mind barely forming any thoughts.

It was vaguely quite.

* * *

Sasuke was sure Naruto had been there. He could still sense Naruto's lingering chakra on the bed but what truly gave it away, was how the room was arranged. It was an almost replica of their own room. And there was also the fact that near the bed, the words "Uzu-Uchiha Naruto was here" was carved.

Sasuke snorted as he saw that one. Naruto had done the same thing to their bedroom, except he had done it near the door instead of the bed. He sighed, his hand running through his hair.

He had left Konoha three days ago and from the looks of it, they had abandoned the house around that same time. He left the house and with another sigh, continued the search.

* * *

Deidara sighed. He was not quite sure what he was doing. He had followed the Uchiha, who carried the blond, as they left the nice house and as they traveled.

Of course he had not forgotten what his mission was but technically, he didn't really have a time limit. They didn't say to bring him immediately back…or did they? Deidara shrugged.

He rarely ever listened to what they had to say in great detail. With their orders, it was more of the "overall" picture that he paid attention to. He felt something stir within him as he stared at the Uchiha who sat next to the blond, eating. He titled his head, all the while taking in the blonde's glazed expression.

Ah…the Sharingan truly was frightening. He sat on the edge of the balcony of the room they were staying at and no doubt the Uchiha knew he was there. He wasn't even trying to hide. But it seemed like Itachi did not care. He had only glanced at his direction once and after that, he had focused his attention on Naruto.

"Naruto, please do eat. You are still very weak," Itachi mumbled and Deidara felt his lips twitch. The man was truly pathetic.

"Of course, Itachi."

Deidara sighed as he pulled a strand of his loose hair behind his hair. The temperature had begun to rise a couple of weeks ago and as they entered deeper into the summer, Deidara could not help but want go to higher ground.

Yet he couldn't. He still had to decide what to do. There was still no doubt about it. He wanted to fight the Uchiha. He wanted…he wanted to prove himself. To whom, he was still not sure. But he wanted to prove himself.

Since the death of his danna, he had felt…lost. Sasori had been his guide and now that he was gone…he was lost. He did not know what he wanted to do. All he knew was that he was lost.

"Danna…what should I do?" he mumbled as he stared up at the blue sky. "Cant'cha help me? I'm just so lost, un…"

He heard people shifting and as his gaze left the sky and penetrated the window, it fell upon the two people he had been watching over for weeks now and his eyes met red.

"Naruto-san…why don't you go and sleep? We shall be leaving soon."

"Hai… Itachi," Naruto mumbled as he walked towards where the bed laid. Itachi glanced at his direction and at noticing that the Naruto's eyes were closed, he walked towards the balcony.

Deidara did not move from where he sat but his eyes shifted towards the sky. He sat on the metal rim of the balcony, his legs dangling and barely touching the ground of the balcony and his arms holding onto the rim.

"Uchiha," Deidara mumbled. "What'cha want?"

"I should be asking you the same thing. What are you doing here?" Itachi asked, his eyes narrowing in something close to anger.

Deidara grinned. "I got a mission, ya know, un! Just 'cus I helped ya out doesn't mean I still ain't got the mission to do…"

"You sure are taking your time."

Deidara did not comment, his lips pursing. Itachi smirked as he noticed the blond's annoyed expression. "Have I hit a nerve, Deidara-chan?"

"Don't call me that! You are not higher than I am!" the blond shrieked, his face twisting in a way most children do when they are annoyed.

"Either complete your mission or leave. I do not wish to deal with you," Itachi said as he turned, intended on going back inside.

Deidara jumped off the small fence and grabbed Itachi by his wrist. "Wait!"

Itachi stiffened but he turned and regarded the Akatsuki member in something close to disdain. "What?"

"Why did ya leave?" Deidara asked softly. "Why did ya leave Akatsuki? Because of the blond boy?"

Itachi's eyes narrowed as he jerked his arm free from Deidara's hold. "That is none of your concern," he said as he turned his back towards Deidara. "I will do as I wish and if my wishes conflicts with that of another then they shall be put down swiftly."

"That's where ya're wrong, Itachi," Deidara mumbled. Itachi felt something twist within him as he heard his name said by the blond. "Ya can't always get what ya want and ya can't always beat those in your way. That blond does not belong ta' ya and I doubt you will have him for much longer…"

Itachi swirled around with the intent to grab and hurt the Akatsuki member but the blond was gone and the dark-haired shinobi did not feel like following after him.

He walked into the room and sat on the bed. Naruto had fallen asleep. The boy was thin; too thin for a person who was pregnant just a couple of weeks ago…

The fat that he had accumulated from the pregnancy was practically all gone, for although he did not truly remember…he still fought…he still loved to spar. He was almost…boney…

His face was pale and there were bags under his eyes. Itachi felt something tug at his heart at the sight of him. "Naruto…I- please…"

He did not know what he was asking of the blond and he was sure the boy could not hear him either way but he felt the same turmoil within him.

* * *

Deidara let his hair loose, his clothes already near the spring (but far enough so they wouldn't get wet) as he stood at the top of the waterfall. He looked down and stared into the large spring underneath. With a sigh, he jumped. He closed his eyes and did not open them as he entered the water. He continued to fall deeper and deeper and only when his lungs burned from lack of oxygen, did he open his eyes and swam back to the surface. He broke surface, a small gasp leaving him as he took in air.

His hair stuck to him and both his eyes were in plain view. They were a blue hue with lovely green flicks and they often held something close to a malicious type of mischief. He had not cut his hair since his danna had died and it now reached his waist when he did not tie it back.

With a sigh, he went towards the edge where he had left his soap and shampoo. He had not taken a bath in nearly a week and he felt absolutely _disgusting_. His hair felt almost oily and he could not stand it. He washed off the dirt and dust from his body before he began to wash his hair.

He, like every Akatsuki, was not a nice person. He snorted; there weren't many "nice" people in the world, anyways. He liked his job, he liked to fight and he liked to blow things up, it was that simple.

He had been an assassin and he did not mind his job, so long as he got to do his art. There were some assignments that had nagged him but he had pushed them to the farthest part of his mind and that was it.

He had been ok. But then of course, the Akastuki came along. He had not wanted to join, but they had insisted and he had fought them- well he had fought Itachi. Every time he thought of that fight, it made his blood boil.

He had tricked him! He had humiliated him! Of course, even now, he knew deep down that the Uchiha was more powerful than him but that did not stop him from wishing to fight him in the future. He had trained and worked with the goal of defeating the Uchiha one day in mind. His left eye was a prime example. The scope was there so he can see through his genjutsu.

Pein had wanted him to join their organization and in the end, he had. Even with Sasori gone, the one person he truly saw as his Master, he was still a member.

But now…he couldn't help but wish for more. Why was it that the Uchiha got to taste freedom, got to leave but he couldn't?

He sighed. Oh well…it was too late for that. His eyes stared up at the sky and he blinked as he noticed that it was darkening. A storm was coming. "Uchiha, Uchiha…sorry…sorry…but ya coming with me back to Akatsuki…sorry, sorry…" he mumbled as he dunk under the water to remove the shampoo and soap. He dressed quickly after that with clothes he stole from a shop before he placed his Akatsuki coat on. He pulled his hair back and with a sigh, began walking.

It was now or never.

* * *

Itachi held Naruto in his arms as he left the village, his face stoic. He had sensed him. He had sensed his brother. Of course, he was not so close by that Itachi had to worry, but close enough for Itachi to decide to leave the village.

He did not want to confront his brother. It would be too troublesome.

He looked down at the blond in his arms. "Naruto, are you alright?"

"Yes, Itachi. I am fine," Naruto mumbled and he gazed up at him. "You should not stare at me. You might hit something."

"Have you so little faith in me?" Itachi said with something resembling amusement.

"Hmm…faith…faith…Itachi…who do I have faith in?" Naruto muttered and his blue eyes stared at Itachi coolly, hardly a flicker of emotions passing through.

Itachi's stared ahead, his attention seemingly on where he was going and not on what Naruto had just asked. He did not answer and Naruto simply rested his head against Itachi's chest, already tired.

He was tired a lot lately.

* * *

Sasuke was close. So very close. He smirked as he stopped and with a shift, took another root. He knew this area. He also knew a shortcut.

* * *

Itachi stopped. To the left of him was a nice cliff with a nice waterfall. He could continue foreword and would no doubt reach lower land soon which meant he could find a forest to run through. Yet there was one problem.

His little brother stood in front of him. Shit.

"Naruto," Sasuke called, his eyes on the blond figure. Naruto shifted, his eyes opening and landing on Sasuke. He stared indifferently. "Yes?"

"Naruto…" Sasuke asked, his eyes spinning as he noticed the vacant look. "What have you done to him!?" Sasuke hissed towards his older brother.

Itachi titled his head. "What ever do you mean, little brother?"

Sasuke bristled. "You…"

"Me."

"I'll kill you."

"That one statement is getting old, Sasuke," Itachi said as he walked towards a tree and placed Naruto down.

"Let us get this over with. Naruto gets very tired under the sun…"

Sasuke felt his muscles tense. Itachi stared at him without an ounce of emotion. "Shall we start?"

Sasuke made the first move.

* * *

Ok, so here's the deal, if I can get more than 25 reviews, (and it's been done before) I will update before Saturday.

I have been updating rather frequently this story, so yeah… My goal is to get 500 reviews before this story ends. Help me get there guys!

Anyway, I hope you guys are liking it! Please tell me if you guys find any mistakes! Like always, I only reviewed it like once or twice, maybe.

**Next Chapter**: The two brothers fight for Naruto, a surprising save, and a bit more!

_**P.S. is anyone else having trouble with with like sending out the alerts? I'm not receiving any review alerts or any of the alerts that happen why the stories on in my alert list is updated. That that been happening to anyone else? **_

**_Also, if for some reason, you read this story and there's a random "f" somewhere, please tell me. Fanfiction . net has been doing that lately, especially if I do a search and the document is open. -sigh- It's been getting annoying!_**


	16. XVI A Shifting of Emotions

-**A Clan's Pride** -

**Summary:** "He can keep his heir and I will keep you…do we have a deal?" That voice was low and almost caring and he, for the first time, pitied him.

**Warnings:** Yaoi; Mpreg; Angst; Language; Sexual Situations;

**Disclaimer:** Let's keep it short and swift: don't own it..

**Pairing(s):** SasuNaru, one-sided ItaNaru; ShinoKiba, GaaNeji. Hints of LeeSakura; OroKabu; ItaDei

* * *

**XVI. A Shifting of Emotions**

Deidara watched them fight. They were almost evenly matched. Uchiha Itachi had more experience but Sasuke made up for it by his zeal. It had been going on for a while now and Deidara, quite frankly, was becoming tired of it.

He could see they were at their limit, both no longer using their Sharingan. He doubted they could, anyway. Their moves were no longer as swift as it once was. Sasuke had a wound in his shoulder that affected his punches and jabs and Itachi had been hit by a Chidori at his side. They were both banged up pretty badly and Deidara was mildly impressed that they still had so much energy; hell, he was surprise they were still standing. He glanced towards his left and there, leaning against the tree, was the Kyuubi vessel. He was staring ahead coolly, a look of pure indifference upon his face.

At times, Uchiha Itachi could truly be cruel. Something similar to a harsh click echoed and his attention was brought back to the fight. Itachi had been thrown against a tree, his body leaning against the huge trunk.

"I told you I was going to kill you," the young Uchiha mumbled. The sound of birds echoed and almost without thinking, Deidara moved.

* * *

Itachi had known half way through the fight that he could not win. His chakra had not been half of what it usually way. It was one thing to have his Sharingan activated; it was a whole different matter to keep a jutsu on someone of Naruto's power for weeks with only small rests to speak of.

His little brother had grown. If they had been fighting on equal footing, they would be equal and would no doubt "fight to the death". But they weren't and his little brother was taking advantage. He felt something close to pride enter him for a moment. The boy had truly grown and was more an Uchiha than he himself was.

Their swords met and he locked gazes with his brother. His eyes burned with fury and something resembling hate although not quite as dark and heavy. They parted and it became a dance. He vaguely noticed that Deidara had arrived but he had no time to think about the blond for he barely dodged his brother's blade.

"You took him from me!" his brother hissed. "He's mine! I need him and yet you took him! You'll pay!"

Itachi dodged once more and he landed further away. He risked a glance towards where he rested Naruto. The boy was watching the fight without a flicker of emotion.

Itachi looked away. He had not done it for himself. No…he…he had seen how much Naruto was suffering. How could he not? The boy was slowly slipping into a dark place. His thoughts and emotions, his grief was too much. In the end, Itachi had simply wanted him to rest, to not have to think about it. To stop sinking.

He knew that while the blond was under that hypnosis, he would not be truly _Naruto_, but he had not wanted…he had not wanted Naruto to suffer. Not because of him. He had wanted to get rid of those thoughts and emotions that plagued the younger boy. If only for a little while. He was still not strong enough to let the blond go, though. He felt pain at his right side and then a kick that sent him flying, his back connecting against a harsh, bumpy surface.

He looked up, his eyes blank as he stared at his brother.

"I told you I was going to kill you."

Itachi felt a breath leave him and suddenly feeling defeated, he glanced towards where Naruto was rested. He was not there. His eyes widened and he felt something close to panic grab him. _No!_

"Oi, little Uchiha!" his gaze snapped towards the cliff at a small distance and his eyes took in the sight with much disbelief.

Sasuke's gaze had also gone towards where the voice called and Chidori was gone as he took in the sight.

Deidara grinned. "Glad ta' know I got ya attention, un." Deidara held Naruto by his throat and dangled him from the cliff. Sasuke let something resemble a growl leave him as he took a step foreword.

"I wouldn't do that…." Deidara said with a small grin. "Ya see these little things on your lover's face, un? They go 'boom'." A snicker left him. "Trust me when I say they'll clean his head right off his shoulder if I command it, un!"

"Let him go you fucking bastard!" Sasuke roared, his eyes seeming to gain a mad glint.

"Well, why don't you step away from the bastard of your brother and I might think about it, un?"

Sasuke sword hand twitched and Deidara's expression seemed to darken. "Ya seem to be under the impression that I am lying." One of the things – it resembled a spider really- traveled down to Naruto's shoulder and then exploded. The blond let out a small whimper and his eyes shut. He did not fight the grip around his neck.

"Drop the sword or the next one won't be so small…" Deidara growled. "I mean it, ya little punk, un!"

Sasuke did indeed drop the sword, his eyes burning into Deidara but the blond simply smiled. He was immune to such glares by now. I mean, with the company he associated with…

"Now…what'cha gonna do now…is simple…" Deidara mumbled. "I'm going to take your brother and you are not going to follow us or else I will indeed blow him up. Now, catch." Deidara let go of the blond and he fell, his body like a doll.

"No!" both Uchiha's cried out but Sasuke moved quickly, already jumping off the cliff after his spouse. Deidara was next to the older Uchiha before he could even move.

"You aren't going anywhere, hm!" Deidara hissed as he grabbed Itachi. Itachi stared at him with something close to confusion but did not argue. He forced one of Itachi's arms over his shoulder as he wrapped his own arm around the brunette's side, careful not to irritate his wound. "Let's go," Deidara mumbled and with that, he jumped and fled.

--

Sasuke grabbed Naruto and held him close to his body just as they splashed into the water. He had taken most of the impact and as soon as the shock of hitting the surface left him, he swam to the surface.

One arm was wrapped around Naruto's waist while the other was brought up and he tapped Naruto's cheek. "Naruto, Naruto! Wake up! Please…please…! Wake up!" The blonde did not respond and Sasuke cursed. He got out as fast as he could and without a second thought, headed for Konoha.

His brother could wait.

* * *

Once Deidara had been sure they was not being followed, he had carved up the familiar bird and they had flown back towards the same cottage the Uchiha and the Kyuubi vessel had hidden for a good number of weeks.

Deidara sighed as he rested the Uchiha on the bed. God, he was heavy!

"Ya broke my bloody back!" he hissed as he hit the Uchiha on the shoulder. It did not seem to affect the unconscious shinobi.

With a sigh, Deidara left the room in search of a first aide kit. He found it quickly enough and returned with brisk steps. He placed the kit on the nightstand and left in search of a basin. When he found it, he poured hot, steaming water into the basin and brought it to the room. With another sigh, he got to work. He took off the Uchiha's shirt and grimaced as he noticed his wounds. This was going to take a while.

* * *

Itachi awoke to a dull pain and a bright light. He hissed as he shielded his eyes from the light, all the while pushing himself into a resting position.

"Ya awake, un." His eyes snapped towards his left where there sat Deidara. The blond sat on a small chair that Itachi remembered placing in the room he had occupied when he was residing within the cottage. He glanced around quickly and indeed, he was in the cottage. His eyes landed once more on the blond Akatsuki member. His hair was down and fell in lovely, golden tresses around his face, his eyes in plain view. He shifted and Itachi realized just then how close the chair truly was to the bed.

"You helped me…" Itachi mumbled, his voice masking his confusion. Deidara shrugged. "So what? Ya got a problem with that, un?" He stood and opened the kit on the nightstand.

"Time to change your bandages, un."

"How long have I been…?"

"Asleep?" Deidara mumbled. "Four days. Your wounds got infected and you spiked a fever. Kinda surprised you woke up today, un."

Itachi sat stoically all the while the blonde began to unwrap his torso. "Eeww…" Deidara whispered as his nose wrinkled as a child's would. "He sure did a number on you, un!"

"You threatened Naruto," Itachi said with a small frown and the commented seemed to stun Deidara.

His aqua colored eyes narrowed. "Listen ya little fucker," he hissed. "I'll blow you up if ya say one thing about that damn blond, un! He's your brother's, not yours and if I haven't threatened your precious blond, I can guarantee that you wouldn't be here right now! Now, as much as I find you bein' dead amusing, ya are gonna die by my hands and because of my art, no other way, un! Now shut up and be grateful, ya asshole!" Deidara finished with a huff and then resumed his work.

Itachi stayed silent as Deidara finished applying the ointment and wrapping him up in new bandages. He even stayed quiet as Deidara sat back down and stared at his hands as if they were the most interesting things in the room. They probably were.

"You left Akatsuki…" Itachi said, his dark eyes taking in the sight of the blond. He wore a plain white shirt and short khakis, his Akatsuki coat gone as were the jewelry. His hair, which Itachi had never seen down before, was clean and seemed soft.

"So what?" Deidara grumbled. "If ya can, I can too."

"You were an important person to the group, to Pein. This is a big blow to Akatsuki."

"You forced me into that organization," Deidara reminded the Uchiha with a quick glance towards his direction. "Pein found me powerful and unique. But I get the feeling he knew I was…not faithful…"

"They will have your head," Itachi said with a small smirk. "What will you do now?"

"Ya will just have to protect me, then," Deidara said with a crooked smile. Itachi's eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?"

"Ya heard me. It's 'da least you can do, un," Deidara mumbled, his eyes shining with something foreign. He sighed and stretched before he leaned and rested his upper body on the bed; his arms on the soft comforter while his head rested on his forearms. "The least ya can do…the very least…is to stay with me…I-I…I'm so lost and lonely…danna has left me…"

Itachi did not know what stirred within him but as he stared at the blond who rested his head on top of his bed, he felt a compulsion, and very unlike him, he followed it without thinking.

His hand fell on top of the blonde's head and he saw the ex-Akatsuki member tensed but before Itachi could remove his hand, his shoulders relaxed and he mumbled something that the Uchiha could not understand. Itachi ran his hand through the silky hair, his gaze on the white wall opposite of him. He continued to pet the blond, his thoughts racing as he tried to put everything in order. He was there for a long time.

* * *

Sasuke rested his head on top of his arms that were positioned firmly on top of the bed. Naruto had not woken up yet. It had been four days and yet the boy had not woken up. The Hokage had confirmed that Naruto was still under a genjutsu and only the castor could break it.

Yet even with that knowledge, he had not left the blonde's side. He would let the Hokage deal with finding Itachi for **now**. He did not want to leave Naruto's side, not now.

* * *

Itachi had gone down stairs for a glass of water and soon regretted. Somehow, although he had been very careful, he had reopened his wound. And shit did it hurt. He grimaced as he walked up the stairs carefully, not wanting to open the wound anymore than it already was. He was nearly half way there when he heard his name.

"Uchiha! Where'd ya go?" He felt arms wrap around him and with his help, he managed to get to his room.

"Ya opened your wounds again, hm! Damn it, ya know how long it took me to stitch that up, un? Now I gotta do it all over again…"

Itachi felt his lips quirk as he heard the blond mumble. "You have to do no such thing."

"Shut it!" Deidara hissed. "Ya gotta be in top condition or else ya won't be able to protect me! I can't fight all those damn Akatsuki members if they come after me, un."

"Of course," Itachi mumbled as he let Deidara unwrap the bandages. Soon enough, his wounds were being stitched up, the pain barely registering compared to the pain he was feeling all over. There was silence and Deidara finished treating his wounds, his hands bloody and some strands of his hair plastered against his sweaty face.

"There…that should do it…"

"…hmm…"

Deidara glared. "Ya welcome ya big jerk, un!"

Itachi glanced towards him before his gaze fell upon the white wall. There was silence and then…

"I thought ya had left me…" Deidara mumbled and Itachi's gaze fell upon him.

Deidara seemed to fidget. "Don't get me wrong, un!" Deidara said quickly, his cheeks beginning to redden. "It wasn't like I was disappointed or anything…just saying, un! But I was- I was glad…to see you were only downstairs. Just a little, un."

Itachi continued to stare and that seemed to annoy Deidara. "Stop staring, ya jerk! Don't'cha know that's rude?"

Itachi raised an eyebrow. "You're one to talk. You're rather crude yourself."

Deidara growled. "I should have let ya get yourself killed! And for what? All for 'dat damn blond."

Itachi continued to stare as he took in Deidara's flushed expression and shaking figure.

"Perhaps you should have," Itachi finally responded. Deidara's gaze fell upon his hands once more.

* * *

Sasuke was sick of it. It had been a week and Naruto was fading. He didn't care what the Hokage said, he could tell, he could sense it. Naruto was leaving him.

That was why he was going to find his brother. He had to. He had to bring him back, so help him if he had to break every bone in that body and drag him by his pinky! He was going to undo his genjutsu or whatever the fuck it was!

Sasuke felt something twisting in his belly. It was dense and hot. With a sudden grin, he headed out.

Tsunade could take care of the Council. Whatever she had said to them the first time he had left so as to find Naruto had obviously worked for they had not even twitched when he had returned with his blond.

He vaguely wondered what it had been that she said.

* * *

"Ok…" Deidara mumbled as he walked down the stairs. "If you pop those stiches again…"

"I know. Must you keep reminding me?" Itachi said with a small frown. Deidara shrugged. "Just making sure. Ya hit your head kinda hard during the fight, un."

"I'm fine. Just that one wound…"

"Well, sorry to say but we gotta get going so…" Deidara trailed off as he looked down at Itachi who stood straight and without an ounce of discomfort. One would think he wasn't wounded.

They had come to an easy agreement. Deidara would help him to the nearest village so he could get some medical tablets and he in turn, would help Deidara against the Akatsuki. It was a simple agreement that only needed them to tolerate one another. The Akatsuki would no doubt be after him soon, but not for a couple of months. They had more important things to do then to kill a traitor. Or traitors as the case was.

Deidara sighed as he finished descending the stairs, his hair pulled back into a low ponytail. What was the point of looking the same?

"Let's go," Deidara grumbled. A flicker of something entered his eyes before it disappeared and Itachi vaguely wondered what it was. He did not dwell on it.

* * *

They actually weren't anywhere near the cottage when Sasuke found them but they were nowhere near a village. He had just been about to attack when something, a bird, attached itself to his left side. Just as he was about to grab it, he realized it was made of clay. It blew up. He fell and on his way to the ground, hit a couple of branches. Damn it, bombs hurt, he mused silently as he pulled himself form the ground.

"Don't ya ever give up? Don'tcha got yourself that blond, or somethin'?" His gaze fell upon that same blonde and he felt his anger boil his blood. This- this _fucking guy _was the one who had threatened Naruto. Obviously he wasn't too smart or otherwise he would have realized that it was just a bad idea to appear before him. He glanced around realized that Itachi was no where around the area.

"You…you're the one what helped that bastard?" he hissed and Deidara simply snorted. He crossed his arms in front of him. "And? Ya got a problem with that, un?"

"Yes!"

"Hmm…too bad ya little snot," Deidara said, his lips tugging into a crooked grin. "Look, I can't have ya killing the bastard off, un. Sorry but no can do, un."

"I'm not going to kill him," Sasuke said with a glare, his hands twitching in anticipating for the fight he knew there was about to be. "I just need him so Naruto can wake up."

Deidara shrugged. "That sucks for ya then, un. I ain't telling ya anything and I ain't letting ya get pass me, un."

For some reason, the thought of killing made Sasuke feel slightly better.

* * *

Itachi was in a dilemma. He had realized, just as he sensed his brother trailing them, that he had never removed the jutsu off of Naruto. He mentally cursed. He did not know why he forgot something so important…

His chakra levels were not what they were suppose to be and would not be until either Naruto died or the jutsu dispersed. He had not kept the jutsu over Naruto the entire time. He usually dispersed it when Naruto was sleeping. If he hadn't, Naruto would fall into a coma and slowly fade away…

Itachi rubbed his eyes. He had not been getting any sleep and damn it, the stupid, fucking blond could sleep through the earth moving. That had been what kept him up. That damn blonde who insisted on staying in his room. He slept on the chair and it didn't seem to bother him none. He would wake up, crack almost every one of his joints and then go along his day as if he had not just been huddled on a small chair. Itachi just didn't get him.

He heard an explosion that was soon followed by a number of smaller explosions. He sighed once more. Damn it all to fucking hell. Despite everything he was still an Uchiha. They were too prideful.

* * *

'_Why am I doing this again?' _Deidara asked himself as he felt Sasuke's jab land upon his figure. _'Oh yeah…'cus of the damn fucking Uchiha!'_

Deidara did not know what he was thinking really. It seemed like he hadn't been doing that in a while though. Last time he truly thought must have been those four seconds before he grabbed the blond and used him as leverage against the younger Uchiha.

Deidara stood up, his shoulder popping into its socket with a small jerk of his arm. He was not the type of person who would sacrifice himself for another. Yet he was going to do just that. Damn it. Uchiha owed him, BIG. He chuckled sardonically, silently commenting to himself that the Uchiha wouldn't be able to repay him.

He was about to blow himself up! His laughter rang within the clearing and Sasuke watched him with a suspicious glint.

The blond was powerful and his explosions were dangerous but he was weak in close range combat. Sasuke of course took advantage of that. At least, the most he could. The odd blonde knew about his weakness and did not give Sasuke enough opportunities to truly do any damage.

Yet Sasuke knew he was going to win. Just like he knew he would always win any battle that was for Naruto. He spit out the blood that was starting to accumulate at the back of his mouth, all the while taking in the blonde before him. He seemed quite…anxious. With a sudden rush, he created a Chidori, wishing to finish this up as soon as possible.

"Little Uchiha…this is where our time runs out…" Deidara called out, his grin almost splitting his face. Sasuke couldn't help but agree.

The blond simply chuckled. "One, two, th-"

"Stop it." a voice called out and Deidara's gaze went to him. He glared. "What the fuck are ya-"

"Sasuke…" Itachi mumbled and the younger Uchiha stared at his older brother in mild surprise. His surprise did not last long before a smirk tugged his lips. "Itachi…"

"Let's go," Itachi commanded in a deadly calm voice.

"To where?" Sasuke said with dark amusement. "You want to fight again? Your wounds are not even healed. You're bleeding."

"I'm aware of that. But that is not what I meant. You are planning on killing Deidara and I cannot allow that."

"Ya fucker-" Deidara hissed but Itachi glared at him. "Be quiet. I'm doing what you asked me to do. I'm protecting you."

"Not from your little brother, ya twit, un! From the Akatsuki!"

"You were about to blow yourself up," Itachi growled, his eyes red and spinning. "Let's focus on the situation instead of the people after you, hmm…"

"As touching as this is-"

"This does not concern you, little brother," Itachi said, his voice holding that superiority cold tone that often made Sasuke's anger rise. "This is how it will go. You and I will go to Konoha. You will not continue this fight with Deidara for if he dies, I will fight you," Itachi smirked, his eyes glittering almost maliciously. "Do you see that plant there? It is a rather rare plant. Poisonous and the cure must be administered as quickly as possible."

"Fascinating." Sasuke mumbled dryly, his kunai in hand. Itachi snorted. "Foolish little brother. Do you not get it? If you dally, I will die and so will Naruto-san."

Sasuke seemed to tense as he heard what his brother had to say. His eyes narrowed and his voice came out rough. "You lie…"

"Think what you wish. But it will be your fault when Naruto-san dies."

"What did ya do, ya idiot!" Deidara whispered in disbelief although he knew what he did. The fucking bastard had poisoned himself! "Are you that-"

"Be quiet. This does not concern you."

"The hell it doesn't!"

"Enough!" Sasuke snapped, his red eyes glaring into the blond's aqua colored ones. "Stay out of this."

He turned towards Itachi, his mind made up. "Let's go."

Itachi nodded his head and with a final glance towards Deidara, Itachi followed Sasuke.

* * *

First of all, I'd like to give a **HUGE thank you** to those who reviewed. When I put "I want 25 reviews" I was thinking I would get those 25 in like two/three days but no! I got it in like three hours. I was amazed and touched. Thank you! -smile-

So as to like show you how much I appreciate it, I'm posting this one day later!

I'm sorry if it seems like this is really rushed, but I think you guys have waited long enough for Naruto to return, for Sasuke and Itachi to duke it out and all that other stuff…

Anyway, so yeah…as noticed, this is an ItaDei and it will be in the sequel. I'm sorry if this is…meh… I actually don't like it really but I really wanted to get this out and if I restarted it, it would take a while before I could upate. I'd probably not make it by Saturday.

Anyway, thanks once again guys and drop a review with what you guys think! My next goal is to reach 600 reviews. -grin- But yeah, don't be too harsh! Also, like always tell me if you guys see any mistakes. I zoomed through this like there was no tomorrow!

Also, I'd like to apologize for the fighting scene. I SUCK at fighting scenes and I know that alot of you were really waited for it but...-sigh- sorry... Like I said before, I'm not happy with this chapter AT ALL! frown oh well...

P.S. **I TOTALLY forgot to put in why exactly Naruto isn't waking up. Like **_**onelilthing**_** pointed out, "To break the genjutsu (when normal 'kai' is not working and the victim can't attack the caster)all you have to do is to cause pain to the victim or you have to disrupt the victim's chakra flow by forcing your own chakra into his body" So why exactly do they need Itachi? yeah...ok...i'll explain that in the next chapter! Sorry if it causes any of you any confusion!**


	17. XVII Our Reasons, Our Failures

-**A Clan's Pride** -

**Summary:** "He can keep his heir and I will keep you…do we have a deal?" That voice was low and almost caring and he, for the first time, pitied him.

**Warnings:** Yaoi; Mpreg; Angst; Language; Sexual Situations;

**Disclaimer:** Let's keep it short and swift: don't own it..

**Pairing(s):** SasuNaru, one-sided ItaNaru; ShinoKiba, GaaNeji. Hints of LeeSakura; OroKabu; ItaDei

* * *

**XVII. Our Reasons, Our Failures**

It felt odd walking through the gates of Konoha. He had done it many times –some of them after the massacre- but this time, he felt heavy and with a dark feeling rising in his throat.

Of course that could just be his wound and the poison talking.

He was surrounded by ANBU, his brother leading the way towards the Hokage tower. He wondered vaguely if it had changed much since the last time he was there. He mentally shrugged, he'd find out in a moment. Those around him were tense and there eyes flickered to him ever so often.

That amused him more than anything. Wounded, bleeding, poisoned, his chakra levels half of what it usually was and he was still feared.

They arrived at the Hokage tower just as the sun was touching the horizon. How beautiful…and ironic.

She sat behind a desk that seemed to have seen better days. There were cracks and dents all over its surface. Yet it did not affect her. She sat almost rigid, her eyes cold and held power…eyes he expected of one of the legendary Sannin.

"Uchiha Itachi…" she mumbled and it seemed as if she was tasting the name itself. The ANBU around him shifted a bit away from him as if trying to give her room to see him. His brother stood a bit to the side, his body tense and his posture almost slouching. He seemed to be holding himself back by a hair's width.

His eyes flickered back to the woman.

"Do you know why you are here?" Now what kind of question was that, Itachi mused to himself. He let something similar to a sigh leave him. "That question deserves no answer."

"Quite," she murmured. She stood from her chair and walked in front of the desk and in front of him. She was almost intimidating.

"You will, of course, undo whatever you have done to Naruto-"

"Of course."

"-and then you will be kept in a cell until your execution," she finished as if he had not interrupted her.

Itachi felt his lips twitch. "If you want the satisfaction of my execution and for Naruto-san to awaken, I do suggest you heal my wound –thus stopping the bleeding- and to find me an antidote. This poison is starting to affect me."

"Poison?" her eyes flickered to his brother and a pretty frown curled her lips. She was a beautiful woman in her own way.

"It seemed he poisoned himself," Sasuke said, his impatience evident.

"And of course you stand there without informing me!"

"You're informed now," Sasuke snapped, his eyes glittering with a sinister emotion.

"Fine. The hospital was our first destination anyway," Tsunade said, her brown eyes glaring right back into Sasuke's.

* * *

Itachi felt slightly better. Not by much, mind you. The antidote was supposed to enter the body and bond with the toxin of the plant. It was a painful process. His wound was stitched up and he was given a tablet for the blood loss. Obviously they were all in a rush.

Naruto lay on the bed, the almost perfect picture of an angel. He did not have wings but the light of the room made him look celestial. His hair was somewhat long, but then again, during his stay with Itachi he had not cut his hair. Yet his face seemed a mixture between troubled and peaceful. There were shadows under his eyes and his lips were quirked.

"Hello Naruto-san," Itachi mumbled and his hands, although shackled together, rose and pushed back his bangs. He felt his brother's composure start to crumble along with his self-restraint. "You do not look well at all…" Itachi continued his little conversation, seemingly ignoring Sasuke.

"Get on with it!" his little brother hissed. His eyes were hateful and Itachi, as he glanced towards him, also caught a glimpse of a demon. His little brother was one step from becoming one.

"The Sharingan is truly a terrifying Kekkei Genkai," Itachi began as he placed his hand on Naruto's forehead. "I doubt you know of this technique seeing as I destroyed all record of it before the massacre…"

Sasuke and Tsunade watched as Itachi's hand seemed to pulsate with his own chakra while his other created hand seals, many of them that even Tsunade did not know. His Sharingan was spinning and even Sasuke could tell that the whole process was taking a heavy toll on his older brother. Yet when he heard what his brother said, his mind seemed to go blank and his eyes widened.

"What are you talking about?" he mumbled coldly, his wide eyes narrowing into angry splits. "There were no records destroyed that I was not aware-"

Itachi's lips twitched as he continued the procedure. There was something amusing and just…satisfying about shocking his younger brother.

"Foolish as ever. You were no heir and when the massacre occurred, you were still every young, dear little brother. You do not know the whole history of this cursed family or the…weapons we have carved throughout the years."

Tsunade's hand grabbed a hold of Sasuke's arm. "Do nothing foolish…" she hissed, her eyes still trained on Itachi's form. She herself did not trust Itachi but he was…he was the only one that could help Naruto. Sasuke's form seemed to relax, if only slightly, but his eyes were still red and dark with heavy emotions.

"Our ancestor, Madara, a few months before he…_left_ Konoha, perfected one technique that only we Uchiha can use. He called it the Puppet Doll Jutsu. It affects the mind, the body, and even the soul to an extent. He created it, supposedly, for the purpose of making Konoha stronger. Our soldiers would feel no fear, no love, no depression. They would feel nothing and thus be affected by nothing. Their thoughts would be straightforward with no useless musing. They would retrain their thirst to fight and would live simply to fulfill what the castor wished. They would be a doll. It resembles a genjustu, ne?"

"It did," Tsunade said, her voice soft. She had never heard of such a justu but she had heard of Madara. A true genius and if there was one person who could and would create such…such a technique, it would be him. "Yet it would not disperse like a normal genjustu would."

"That is because it's not truly a genjustu…not really…" Itachi said, his voice seemed strain but his movements did not stall. "It does affect the mind in a similar manner. The Sharingan takes care of the mind while the rest of the jutsu takes care of the body and…the spirit."

"How exactly?"

"Does it matter?" he snapped, a muscle around his eyes twitching and his hands shaking. He pulled away the hand that rested upon Naruto's forehead and he continued with the hand seals.

Sasuke felt silent, all the while trying to think if he ever came upon any records speaking about such a technique. No, no, _no_! He knew there was no such thing! There wasn't! He knew all his families techniques! Granted, there were some he could still not do but he knew about them! All of them!

His lips curled into a sneer and a hiss seemed to leave him. The hand on his arm tightened. "Relax, Uchiha or I will kick you out."

He did not say anything nor did he try to remove his arm from the grasp. In a way, it was the only thing holding him back.

He felt his brother's chakra smother before it spiked. His eyes snapped towards him, a kunai already in hand. Tsunade was not even a second behind him.

But they had nothing to worry about. Itachi stood in front of them calmly, his hands in front of him, still in shackles. "It is…it is done. He should awake soon," he mumbled, his back to them but they could tell that his gaze was on Naruto.

"How soon?" Tsunade asked as she walked towards the bed as did Sasuke. Itachi's gaze did not leave Naruto, even as his brother leaned towards his spouse and simultaneously nudged Itachi to the side. He did not even flinch as hands fell upon him and jerked him towards the direction of the door.

He was half way towards the door when Naruto stirred. He was gone before the Kyuubi vessel opened his blue eyes.

* * *

The cell was rather nice compared to what he expected. It was not too cold or too warm. It had a light and a nice enough bed that didn't hurt his back too terribly.

He was comfortable enough. He had been there for a week. Well, technically, eight days. He counted by the meals he was given.

He had not tried to escape. Not once. He had recovered enough for him to try an escape. His chakra levels were nearly what they normally where and his wound was practically healed. The toxin had left his system by the third day.

Yet they had not come to see him. No one did really. The guards barely stayed long enough to drop off the meal. He wondered if it had something to do with who he was or what he had done.

"You're awake…" a voice called into the darkness and his eyes opened. He knew that voice. He doubted he would ever forget that voice.

"Indeed I am. Why are you here?" he asked, his eyes taking in his form. He looked nice. His blond hair nearly brushed his shoulders and his blue eyes had gained back all its warmth and light. Itachi had missed this sight. "My brother has let you come? How odd."

"He does not know…" Naruto mumbled, his eyes flickering to the side in a nervous manner. "Keep your voice down or the guards will hear you!"

"Forgive me," Itachi said as he pushed himself into a sitting position before he leaned against the harsh wall that his bed rested against.

"How…how are you?"

"Well all things considering…fine."

"Oh…that's- that's nice to hear!" Naruto said, his lips tugging into a sad excuse of a smile. Itachi felt something dark and heavy beat against his chest at the sight.

"Why are you here, Naruto-san?"

Naruto seemed to fidget under those dark eyes. "I-I…I wanted to thank you…you came back…and you…you saved me. You didn't have to…"

"Of course I did," Itachi mumbled. "It seems you have yet to realize just how prideful this clan you have entered truly is. We Uchiha are too prideful. I could not let Deidara fight my own battle for me and sacrifice himself all the while. It marks me as weak."

"Still…" Naruto mumbled. "Thank you…"

"I…I would not have let you go on as you were, Naruto-san. You must believe at least that."

"I do…I do…" Naruto said, his hands tightening around the bars he grasped. "I know you wouldn't…thank you…thank you so very much…thank you for returning me…"

"You- you are not mine to keep," Itachi mumbled and he was reminded of Deidara and what the blond had said to him not too long ago. He felt something tug at his heartstring.

"…I don't get something though…"

"Hmmm?"

"Why are you still here?"

"I'm a prisoner, Naruto. I'm not allowed to leave," Itachi said with a small smirk.

"You're all better now, I would think!" Naruto said with a mulish expression. "I doubt you would stay here if you wanted to leave. So why don'tcha wanna leave?"

Itachi fell silent and Naruto wondered if the older shinobi would answer him. But he did. The man's voice was smooth and soft and Naruto barely heard him.

"I do not have anything else to live for, Naruto-san. I have lived too long without any real purpose. I think it is time to end this. Why not give the village I left behind what they so wish? My head."

"You- you can't just- just _give up_!" Naruto hissed, his eyes narrowed. "Come on Itachi!"

"You have a reason- or should I say reasons- for living. You have a newborn son, a husband that lives only for you and friends that would go to the end of this earth for you. I do not even have a light in this dark world of mine."

"How many times do you need me to tell ya?" Naruto mumbled as he pushed away from the barred door. "You're light is somewhere…most likely lost and wondering where you are…"

Naruto turned and left. Itachi felt as if the room itself had dimmed and grown cold. He scoffed. Typical of Naruto to leave him so empty.

* * *

"I will…I will not…I will…I will not…I will…damn, I will not…" Deidara glared at the flower in his hand before he threw it to the side. He sighed but after a slight hesitation, he plucked a flower from the ground and began his childish game once more.

"I will…I will not…I will…I will not…I will…I will not…I will…grr…I will not…fuck." He glared at the petal-less flower. "Come on now, un! Ya doin' this on purpose!" he stood up, "Fine! That's it! No more, un!" He dusted his clothes, his face twisted into an angry pout.

Yet he did not move. He stayed there and after a small growl, he let himself fall back to the ground. He laid there for a moment before he searched for a flower with his hand. Once he had one, he plucked it from the ground. He raised it and his arm shielded his face almost completely from the sun. "This is the last one…really…last one, un! I will go…I will not go…I will…I will not…I will…I will not…fuck it!" he hissed as his arms fell slowly towards the ground.

"Dang it…" he murmured, his eyes growing dim.

"This is the last one! Truly, un! Last one, un!" he said, his voice quivering for some odd reason. "I will…I will not…I will…I will not…I will…I will not…" I small smile curled his lips as he grasped the last petal. "I will…un."

He let a giggle escape him as he pulled himself to his feet. "I guess the choice has been made for me, un!" He couldn't help but grin.

* * *

Yukio did not sleep much. Actually, if they thought about it, he actually did sleep as much as a baby did…just irregularly and in naps. He would wake up at the oddest of times and usually at times where they did not want to be interrupted.

He sighed as he poured the milk into the bottle. "Aww…come on now, Yukio. Don'tcha see I'm going as fast as I can?" Naruto mumbled as he finished twisting the top. He shook the milk as he walked up the stairs and towards Yukio's room.

The baby's cry was still as loud as ever as Naruto sat on the rocking chair that was quickly becoming his favorite chair. "Shh…here…there ya go, ya little brat…" Naruto continued to mumble as his son's cries quieted down as he occupied himself with his meal.

"Gee…ya sure do have bad timing…" Naruto said as a yawn broke through. It was three in the morning. Of course Yukio's cries could be heard, albeit distantly, from their room. They have had no problems hearing him though. Somehow though, Sasuke never seemed to wake up. Naruto always woke up after the third cry but Sasuke, he barely even twitched!

Naruto felt his face twitch in slit anger. The damn fucking _teme_!

Yukio whimpered as if sensing Naruto's anger. "Sorry…shh…just keep drinking and then go back to sleep…k? I'm tired…"

The room was relatively quiet except for the sound of Yukio's feeding and the soft creaking of the rocking chair.

* * *

Sasuke woke up alone. He felt his heart clench but after a second, his mind kicked in and he realized that Naruto was most likely with Yukio. That was where he usually always was.

It had been nine days. Nine days since he had woken and Sasuke felt like he was truly breathing once more. His thoughts were not as clouded…not as…dark as they were during Naruto's absence.

He could remember when Naruto woke up. The blond had stared up at the ceiling for nearly a minute with a glazed expression before those blue eyes shifted towards where he leaned.

"_Sa'ke?" Naruto mumbled as he took in the brunette near him. Sasuke felt his lips tug into a small smile. "Hey…yeah…it's me…"_

"_Sa'ke…" Naruto mumbled once more, his voice breathless as his eyes widened in surprise and joy. "Sasuke!" he cried again as he tried to reach out for his husband. His body was still weak and his movements sluggish but he still managed to wrap his arms around him._

"_Sasuke! You're really here…here!" Naruto mumbled as his arms tightened around Sasuke. Sasuke's embrace did not loosen, indeed it seemed to tighten around his only love. "Naruto…my sweet Naruto…god how I missed you…do you know how lost I was without you?"_

"_Sa'ke…" _

"_Never leave me, Naruto. I will not be able to bear it again…please…my dear, dear Naruto. I love you…I love you too much!" _

"_Sasuke…I love ya too…Sa'ke…Sa'ke…" Naruto mumbled against Sasuke's chest. He felt his heart beat faster from joy or relief, he was not sure. But then he realized something. He pushed against Sasuke. "Yukio! Where is Yukio? Where is my baby? My Yukio! Where is he!? Where the fucking hell is he, Sasuke-"_

"_Naruto! Calm down! Calm down…he's fine. He's fine. He's with Shizune at the moment," Tsunade interrupted. "You need to keep calm and try to rest…I still want to run some test to make sure there are no…lasting side effects."_

"_I want…I want to see Yukio…please…let me hold him…" _

_Tsunade glanced towards Sasuke before she nodded. "Of course. I'll give the two of you a minute…"_

_She left and the two were left alone in a silent, brilliant room._

_­_He made his way towards Yukio's room. The door was closed but that was to be expected. Naruto always closed the door behind him. He slid the door open and took in the sight before him.

The room was painted nicely in a soft orange and a lovely shade of green. Personally, he would rather not have the orange but he did have to admit, the combination did look…nice…nice enough anyway. He still thought that white walls would have been fine.

There was a crib to the side and at the opposite wall there were shelves filled with stuffed toys and other little trinkets for children. He hadn't bought them of course. Naruto had done that long ago, a few days after he bought the paint actually. He had simply tagged along while his spouse went a tad insane with the Uchiha money.

Yet that didn't matter. Not when Naruto looked so lovely sitting on the wooden rocking chair sleeping. Yukio was in his arms secure and safe and Sasuke, not for the first time, wondered how Naruto could fall asleep while still holding Yukio and now drop him. He shrugged mentally. He doubted it would ever happen.

"Naruto, wake up…Naruto. Damn it dobe, wake up," he mumbled as he shook Naruto's shoulder, all the while trying not to wake up Yukio. The boy fussed too much. Of course their first child would take after the blond.

"Sa'ke?" Naruto mumbled as his eyes opened. They were hazed with sleep but after a yawn, the sleep seemed to clear out. "Ya up…kinda late, don't you think?" Naruto grumbled as he stood, his bones cracking and popping. He winced slightly as he walked towards Yukio's crib and placed the baby inside.

"Hmm…" Sasuke mumbled, not the least bit bothered by Naruto's little rant. It was not the first time.

"How you can just sleep through it, I will never know!" Naruto continued to say in a hushed whisper as he left their baby's room. They walked down the stairs and only when they were in the kitchen did Naruto turn around. He glared. "Ya bastard! I know ya can hear him!"

"Of course I can. Who can't? He has your damn lungs," Sasuke muttered as he sidestepped Naruto and went towards the cabinets. He wanted his tea.

"Then why don't you ever go and see what's wrong?!" Naruto said in frustration. He lips were twisted into a small pout and his eyes narrowed in an annoyed manner.

"You always get up before I can-"

"Bullshit! You're just lazy," Naruto said as he stomped his foot childishly. Sasuke simply rolled his eyes. "Well if you have me down, why do you insist on asking me such questions?"

"He's your son too!"

"I would hope so," Sasuke muttered as he placed the water to boil. He was getting a headache.

"You damn bastard! I should-"

"Must you be so loud? It's eight in the morning…" Sasuke said with a sigh. Where had his quiet life gone to? To the lowest parts of hell, that's where. Now he had a spouse whose voice could actually shake the house and a child who seemed to have gotten Naruto's shrill.

"You have to help too, Sasuke!" Naruto said with a huff as he went towards the refrigerator and proceeded to prepare breakfast.

"I do…" Sasuke muttered as he rubbed his forehead.

"When was the last time you fed him? Last time you changed him? Last time you held him? It's actually not _that_ hard! Ya feed, ya change, ya play a little and that's it!"

"Hmmm…alright…alright. Stop nagging." Sasuke ran a hand through his hair all the while a frown tugged his lips. Geez…couldn't Naruto understand…he just…he just…

"Hey…what's wrong Sasuke…?" Naruto asked, his eyes staring at his husband in question as he noticed Sasuke's sudden moody expression.

"I'm not good at this, Naruto. I am not a…I'm not good at this."

"At what?" Naruto asked softly as he walked towards him, his hands grasping Sasuke's shirt. He looked up at him with large, blue eyes, searching for answers silently. Sasuke sighed. "Naruto…I'm not…I'm not a father…I mean…I am…Yukio is my son but I'm not truly a…a _parent_…you…you are. You had him inside you for nearly seven months! He's…you two have a bond that I will never have with him…I am not used to this…I just…I just need time…time to get use to being a parent…to having a son."

"Sa'ke…" Naruto mumbled and he leaned his face against his chest. "The fact that you worry about such stupid things…it makes you a better parent than most out there. I don't expect ya to be the best father from start. Come on, it's not like we get a manual or somethin'. But damn it, Sasuke. Ya gotta try or you'll never know…"

"This is not a training session or an Academy test! I cannot fail this-"

"And you won't," Naruto reassured with a grin. "Come on, where's that clan pride, ya damn conceited bastard. Why you worrying about failing? When was the last time you failed to do something truly important?"

"The day Itachi took you from me," Sasuke said somberly. Naruto's grin shrank. "Sasuke…please…please don't say that. You- you didn't fail…no…you brought me back didn't you? It wasn't your fault…it wasn't…please…"

"Naruto-"

"Please!" Naruto hissed, his eyes pleading. "Just believe me…you didn't fail me and you're not going to fail Yukio…please believe me…please…"

"How can I not?" Sasuke said. His arms encircled Naruto and he held the blond securely against himself. "You are my most valuable treasure…my dear, dear Naruto…"

--

"You're wounds have healed. Am I right, Uchiha Itachi?"

"You are correct."

"Then my message can be delivered," the ANBU said, his voice calm and held an almost dry hue to it. "In two days time, at three in the afternoon exactly, you will be executed as has been declared by Lady Hokage and the Council."

"Hmm…" Itachi said. He shrugged and with a careful wave of his hand, he leaned back down on his bed. He stared up at the ceiling as an arm dangled from the side of the bed and the other was over his forehead.

He heard as the ANBU left but he did not care enough to glance in his direction. So he had two days left, he mused to himself silently. There was something funny in that thought and he felt his lips twitch as a chuckle left him. It turned into a loud laughter that rang throughout not only his cell but within the prison.

--

So what do you guys think? Hmmm…I kinda like this chapter, more than the last one anyway. The next chapter is most likely the last one or if not, the second to last! -smile- I still haven't decided yet. It will be decided while I type up the next chapter. It depends if I can get everything I want in one chapter or not. I don't want to rush it so if I can't, then it'll be two chapters; the last chapter being an epilogue of sorts.

Sorry this is a bit late. My laptop is getting fixed but my mom is letting me use her laptop in the mean time . Isn't she nice! –smile-

I'm not sure when I'll be able to update. I do have a job and my schedule has been changed so I'm arriving home a couple hours later than I used to so that doesn't always leave me time to write for this story!

Anyway, please be nice with your reviews but also, I love it when you guys contribute to my story or have comments. I don't mind constructive criticism so long as they aren't said too harshly.

Thanks once again guys!

P.S. If you guys don't get the whole thing Itachi explained…tell me and I'll put it into further explanation in the next chapter.

P.S.S. Tell me if you guys find any mistakes! I only checked it maybe once!


	18. XVIII Reasons We Go On

-**A Clan's Pride** -

**Summary:** "He can keep his heir and I will keep you…do we have a deal?" That voice was low and almost caring and Naruto, for the first time, pitied him.

**Warnings:** Yaoi; Mpreg; Angst; Language;

**Disclaimer:** Let's keep it short and swift: don't own it..

**Pairing(s):** SasuNaru, one-sided ItaNaru; ShinoKiba, GaaNeji. Hints of LeeSakura; OroKabu; hints of future ItaDei

* * *

**XVIII. Reasons We Go On**

Naruto did not know what to think. He did know what he was supposed to feel. It wasn't what he was feeling. He did not want the older Uchiha do die. Go far away, _never_ again try to kidnap him but he did not want him to die.

Naruto would like to think he got to know the older shinobi during their weeks together. He would never love the man like he loved Sasuke but if things were different…he wouldn't have minded having such a man as a brother-in-law.

Yukio was not sleeping but was on their bed, his arms reaching out towards the ceiling. He was giggling at something and Naruto smiled as he finished getting dressed.

Naruto had made a small protective cocoon on their bed with their pillows so as to keep Yukio safe while he took a nice shower. The baby had been asleep while he entered the shower but it seemed like the sound of the water running had woken him up for when Naruto returned, the little Uchiha was awake.

"Hey little guy, what'cha giggling about?" Naruto whispered as he crawled towards his first child. His fingers ghosted over Yukio's belly and the baby giggled once more. "You sure are in a good mood," Naruto mumbled, a grin tugging his lips as he continued to tickle his baby.

"Naruto…are you ready?"

His grin was gone and his fingers caressed Yukio's soft cheek.

"No," Naruto said gruffly. Yukio looked up at Naruto in something close to confusion. "Why the fuck would I be ready to see Itachi get his head cut off?"

"You're defending him-"

"Oh shut it, Sasuke!" Naruto mumbled, "I'm not in the mood for your jealous rant. I'm sorry I don't necessarily agree with our execution policy."

"Have you forgotten what he has gone?" Sasuke growled, his fisted tightening. He watched as his spouse raised their son from their bed carefully, a small blue blanket over his shoulder.

"No," Naruto mumbled. "Just like I haven't forgotten the day Tsunade wanted to execute _you_." Naruto walked passed the shocked shinobi. "Let's get this over with, ne?"

* * *

Itachi was quite sure that he was supposed to be feeling something. Anything…but he wasn't. He did not regret anything nor did he feel nostalgic. He did not wish he could have more time. At the moment, he did not care if they executed him or not. Ok…maybe that was a lie. He did care. He did wish to be executed. He was tired and unbelievably bored. There was not much you could do in a small cell before you were tempted, more than just tempted really, to smash your head against the harsh wall.

But that was all over. Judging by where the sun was, he only had to wait maybe two hours…God…more waiting…

"Are you ready Uchiha?" Tsunade said, her voice professional and her eyes calm. They stood outside of the tower. Five ANBU surrounded him while the Lady Hokage stood in front of him with her own ANBU guards.

He did not see the point of them. All they had to do was activate the shackles and he would be useless.

"Hmm…ready?" he murmured, "Ready for what?" he stared up at the sky. It was a rather clear day, barely any clouds and the sky was so blue…so very beautiful.

"Ready for your execution. It's in less than an hour."

"Really…it seems I underestimated…" Itachi said, his voice dull.

"Are you ready, Uchiha?"

"Hmm…yes. I've been ready for a long time…"

She nodded and for a moment, she felt something close to pity for the Uchiha. These Uchiha…she shook her head.

'_Let's get this over…'_ By the look on his face, Uchiha Itachi agreed with her thought.

* * *

Naruto felt something close to…fury…hatred…for the people in the village. The execution ground was a place that was usually forgotten about for it was at the outskirts of the village. The Hokage Mountain, if you ignored the buildings and trees and people, faced the small platform.

The crowd was huge, the people varying from two-year olds to those nearly dying. They all faced towards the stand and it seemed like they were waiting for an entertainment. Naruto held Yukio closer to him and his baby whimpered. "Shh…Yukio…you ain't goin' to cry, right?" he mumbled as he glanced down at his child. Yukio stared at him and for a second, Naruto thought his little baby boy was grinning at him. But he wasn't. He stared at Naruto almost calmly, his hands waving about as if he was trying to capture something within his little hands.

He felt the arm around him tightened and he glanced at Sasuke. His attention was ahead but unlike the other people, his face did not show any type of excitement or glee. His face was hard and seemed to be carved from marble. There was something glittering in his eyes and Naruto suspected it was something close to regret or another nostalgic feeling. "Sasuke…"

"Hn?"

"I- never mind," Naruto mumbled, his gaze sweeping through the crowd. There were still people that did not know what they would rather stare at, the stand or the Uchiha family. Naruto was _**not**_ in the mood. He glared at whoever met his gaze and he held Yukio closer to him all the while trying to shield him from crowd's gaze.

"I wish they would get this over with," he mumbled and it seemed Sasuke heard him.

"Naruto," Sasuke mumbled so as to get his attention. Only when he was looking into dark eyes did the brunette seem satisfied. "Is it wrong of me to no longer hate him for what he did long ago…?" it was said so softly that Naruto barely heard him.

He felt something, something light within him. He remembered Sasuke's comment from months ago. _"I love you more than I will ever hate him."_

That one commented had broken his heart. Yet at Sasuke's soft confession, said in a way a child would ask a parent about getting a cookie before dinner, Naruto felt his heart mend.

He smiled a small, private smile. "No…it takes a lot, Sasuke, to forgive. You've held this hatred very close to your heart for a long time and it entangled itself…and-and…I'm very glad you've started to untangle it. I'm very happy…" They stared at each other and Sasuke did not know what to say. His arm was wrapped around Naruto's waist and his hand rested upon his hip. His hand moved in a caress almost absentmindedly as he tried to work out how to respond.

"Then why do I feel…like this? Like I am doing something wrong?"

"Sasuke, when a blade penetrates us and a chip of the blade breaks and it is left inside us, do you know what happens?" Naruto mumbled.

Sasuke opened his mouth to respond but Naruto beat him to it. "It stays there and as long as it's not near any organs, it's not a real danger. But it hurts. It's always there, taking up space that isn't there; cutting and forever in the way. Now sometimes, it can be taken out while other times, it can't. The longer it's in there, the deeper it goes, the harder it is to take out. We are in constant pain, forever remembering that chip of the blade. And when it is taken out, doesn't the process hurt? That's what hatred is, Sasuke. I'm quite happy that the blade is finally being taken out…and quite proud of you."

"I- I'm glad then," Sasuke whispered as he leaned and kissed the top of Naruto head. "I don't do much that's worth your pride…I'm glad…"

"That's not true…you give me a reason every day…ever since that rainy day…I've been very proud of you…"

Sasuke felt his heart beat slightly faster as he locked gaze with Naruto. That feeling of wrong seemed to disappear.

* * *

_It hadn't been a good day. It had rained nonstop and he had guard duty._

_He had arrived home at six in the afternoon and after changing into a pair of warm, dry clothes, he had gone to his kitchen to see if there was anything to eat. There wasn't._

_So of course, he had gone out so as to buy some ramen. It had stopped raining and he felt like his day was improving, if only a little. He had stepped out of the store and the skies opened._

_His food was wet, he was wet…hmmm…yeah… it was only natural that he had screamed._

"_FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! GOD FUCKING-" he yelled as he threw his groceries to the side and kicked the nearest building. His foot hurt but that didn't matter. He continued to kick and hit the building, his hands clenched into fist as he continued to chip away at the building. _

_Nothing had been going well. Nothing. He had gone in search for Sasuke with his new team and had come back empty handed. He had returned to irritating weeks filled with bad weather and even worse luck. _

_He felt himself fall to his kneels and his head rested against the wall. Nothing had been going right. It just wasn't fair. His cheeks were wet and drops slide down his cheeks. He couldn't tell if it was because he was crying or if because it was raining. "Sasuke…ya damn, fucking asshole…" he mumbled to himself as he rubbed his eyes. "Ya stupid, selfish bastard…not fair…ya ruin everything, even when you're not here…" _

"_I'm sorry." The voice was smooth and held amusement. Naruto felt his eyes widen as he heard that same mocking tone, albeit deeper and…rougher._

_He stood from the wet ground, his back still to where the voice had come from. He turned slowly, almost as if afraid of seeing if he was simply imagining things. But he wasn't._

_He stood there. He was just as wet as Naruto was, his clothes clinging to him but they were dirty with dirt and what Naruto assumed was blood. His hair was not styled as it was the last time Naruto saw him. It was down and clung to his face and neck yet his eyes were not covered. They were bare and Naruto felt something clench at his heart at the sight. _

_His eyes stared right back into Naruto's. They swirled with emotions and an intensity that Naruto could barely stand._

"_Sa-Sasuke…" Naruto choked out and he made his way towards the figure slowly as if afraid that the other shinobi would disappear. _

"_Sasuke…" Naruto mumbled once more as his fingers brushed against a hard chest. His arms wrapped around that large chest and he felt himself lean against the figure. He did not care why he was there…he did not care if it was to kill him. All that mattered was that Sasuke…Sasuke was here! Here, back in Konoha!_

"_Sasuke…Sasuke…you're here…" Naruto whispered as he buried his face into that cold chest. A sob left him and it seemed that he could not stop himself from crying. "You're really here!"_

"_Naruto…" the voice that said that was soft and he couldn't help but love how his name sounded coming from Sasuke. "Naruto…I'm home…aren't you glad?" he asked softly as he wrapped his arms around the smaller teen. He felt his heart tightened as Naruto continued to cry on him. "Naruto…please? Aren't you glad? Do you wish me to leave?"_

"_Ya bastard!" Naruto yelled and he hit Sasuke on his shoulder hard enough to bruise. "Why the FUCK would I want you to leave? Don't you- don't you see I'm happy? Ya stupid, stupid asshole!"_

"_Dobe…" Sasuke said and his lips twitched. Naruto glared. "Who you calling a dobe, teme?!" _

"_You. Do you see anyone else around here?" _

"_Shut up!" Naruto hissed as he punched Sasuke on the face. The brunette stumbled and nearly hit a wall. He glared. "What the fuck was that for!?" he hissed._

"_You- you just can't- shut up! I can hit you if I want to!" Naruto screamed back before sticking his tongue out. "Now come on, we got to get out of here before someone sees you!"_

_Naruto grabbed his hand and led him towards his apartment. They avoided anyone who was still out during the small storm and they kept mostly to the shadows. They arrived twenty minutes later._

"_Here, they are really big on me so they could probably fit you, take those dirty clothes off and change. You're getting my floor wet!" Never mind that Naruto was just as equally wet but Sasuke did as he was instructed but not before saying in a low voice, "Afterwards, we talk, Naruto."_

Itachi stood behind the flat stone where his head would be located soon enough. For a moment, the thought of putting his head on that stone and exposing his neck to the sharp blade of the executioner made him ill. Who knew if they had cleaned it properly after the last execution! But then he sighed and shook his head. What was he thinking? What did it matter…he sighed once more. It mattered to him. He liked to consider himself a clean person and damn it, the thought of putting his head on that stone was…revolting. Or maybe he was just going insane.

He was probably going insane. He could hear someone, he didn't care enough to focus on whom exactly, reciting the charges against him. Why bother listening? He knew the charges already.

He looked through the crowd and found familiar faces. There were some he suspected where his old comrades. They had aged well enough.

Just as he was about to move his gaze from the crowd to the sky, he caught sight of…his family.

His brother stood with his arm around Naruto and Yukio within Naruto's arms. It was a nice picture of a perfect family. He took in his brother and a memory came to him of when Sasuke was much younger. He had been a cute little brother. Sasuke had never really annoyed him with his constant following and questions. He had found it somewhat endearing actually. And there were times where Sasuke's praises meant more to him than their father's.

Then there was Naruto. He stood as beautiful as ever. For there was something beautiful and…alluring about the blond. He had cut his hair and it no longer brushed his shoulders. He swore a nice red yukata and his eyes…they were clouded and troubled. Itachi titled his head in confusion although such emotions did not show on his face.

Now why is Naruto-san so troubled? Such an expression did not belong on him.

Could it be possible that the boy was sad…because of him? His lips curled into a smile. Naruto's eyes seemed to cloud in confusion as he noticed Itachi's expression. "Thank you…" he murmured and for some reason, he could not help but think that Naruto heard him.

Itachi's gaze fell upon the bundle in Naruto's arms. It was currently moving. It was baby Yukio. As he stood there musing silently, he realized he liked the thought of himself as an uncle. He would have been a rather good uncle, he suspected. He would have if he wasn't about to be executed.

Oh well…

He felt a hand on his shoulder and he kneeled. His forehead rested against the stone and he closed his eyes. Here it was. No more waiting…no more…

He heard the large blade cut through the air before the sharp, thin blade touched the back of his neck. He could feel that ever present instinct to escape the danger. It was an instinct engraved into you and it was one that was hard to ignore but he did. He let out a breath just as the blade left him and was raised high.

One, two, three…

* * *

For a moment, the world was still. They stared up at the platform in something resembling shock before, almost in union, it became an uproar.

"Uh shut it, ya bunch of fucking twits, un!"

The executioner had blown up. In fact, half of the platform was been blown up. The ANBU that had been positioned on the platform seemed to be seriously wounded but that did not matter. There were still many more out there.

Near where the traitor kneeled was a blond. It was pulled back into a high ponytail and his aqua color eyes shined with something close to annoyance. He wore a headband with the symbol of Iwagakure on it. The scratch on the middle labeled him a traitor for all to see. He was dressed casually with khakis and black shirt.

"Get up, Uchiha," Deidara mumbled.

"What are you doing here, Deidara?" Itachi asked as he shifted so he could look at the blond. He did not stand up however.

"Get up," Deidara said, his eyes narrowing. "Ya owe me a debt, Uchiha! Ya ain't gonna get out of it that easily, un! Now get up! Ya ain't gonna die this way! No way, un!"

"You there! You are surrounded!"

"Can't ya see I'm talking here?" Deidara said gruffly. "Mind ya own busy." He turned back towards Itachi. "Get up, Uchiha. Or do you expect me to fight one…two…three…four…five… six…seven…eight…eleven ANBU? Along with several other Jounin and the Hokage for ya sorry ass, un?"

"I never asked you to come and save me, you moron."

"Hey!" Deidara exclaimed.

"I will not warn you again-"

"-Uchiha-"

"Fine, you were warned!" An ANBU charged and Deidara sighed. "Ya stupid monkey, un." The ANBU with the mask that indeed did resemble a monkey was stopped in mid-charge. It seemed something had grabbed him from the ground and did not wish to let go.

"You go boom!" and indeed he did.

The crowd shrieked as the rest of the platform was incinerated. "Get back!" the Hokage roared and they had forgotten all about her in the confusion.

"Damn it," Sasuke mumbled as he pulled Naruto away from the fire. "Fuck, fuck, shit, shit, _shit_!"

"Sasuke, ya think Itachi made it?" Naruto asked softly, "That was a rather large explosion. It took out the whole stadium and a couple people the crowd."

"Can you not worry about that, right now?" Sasuke growled. "Just get back to the house."

"But-"

"Damn it, Naruto! I don't want you here in this danger while you're holding Yukio. _Go_. I'll take care of this."

Naruto seemed to battle with himself before he nodded, albeit in slight hesitation. "Alright…be safe…" he muttered. With a sigh and a realization that walking down the streets was a no-no at the moment, he took to the roofs.

Sasuke turned back towards the direction of the fire. Another explosion had occurred but it seemed that things were not as hectic as it once was. Most of the civilians were already far enough and those of higher rank were busy getting the lingering people out and were also, it seemed, searching for the traitorous Uchiha and his accomplice.

He shook his head. If he didn't know better, he would think the Hokage- His eyes narrowed as a suspicion entered his mind and would not leave. He would find out soon enough, he suspected.

* * *

Deidara watched as another ANBU ran passed the alley they hid in and he felt the breath he was holding leave him. "Damn it, there sure are a lot of them, un."

"What did you expect, brat? It's a Hidden Village, there's bound to be more than a handful of high ranked shinobi…"

"Listen," Deidara growled as he glared at the other shinobi. "If ya would just get over yourself and stop being such an ass, ya could help me get out of here. This use to be your village. Ya should know the routes…"

"Why should I help you?" Itachi said with a roll of his eyes. "Brat, you can't just do something as impulsive as blowing up a part of a village without a plan of getting out."

"I did have a plan; _You_ getting me out, un!"

"Brilliant," Itachi muttered sarcastically. "But as you can see, I'm not exactly useful." He raised his hands that were still in shackles.

Deidara rolled his eyes. "You're right, ya are useless, un." He placed his finger at the thick bracelet around Itachi's left wrist and with a tap, the shackles fell.

Itachi raised an eyebrow. "Seems like you are not as useless as I first assumed."

"You're welcome," Deidara said with a huff, "Are ya gonna help me or not?"

"Hmm…no."

"Why not?!" Deidara hissed as he pulled Itachi behind a group of boxes just as two other ANBU ran passed. "Fuck, Uchiha…I-"

"You should not have come…I have resigned to my fate."

"What fate, un!?" Deidara mumbled harshly. "All ya doin' is giving up. I didn't know ya were a coward, Itachi."

"I am no such thing."

"You could have fooled me," Deidara said softly. "Ya have given up, all because ya didn't get what ya want, un! Well, ya can't always get what ya want, Itachi. That's not how life works…"

"You know nothing," Itachi said and his eyes were red and spinning. Deidara did not look away from them though.

"I know enough, un. Ya- I thought- I thought that ya- never mind, un. Of course I was wrong, un. Ya couldn't be- ya would never be able to be my danna…never…never…never…" Deidara's eyes seemed to smolder with something close to sadness. "It seems this is goodbye, Uchiha. I leave ya to your suppose fate."

Deidara stood and shifted. He only realized a moment later that that had been a bad move. An ANBU stood at the entrance of the alleyway for the shinobi had noticed him just as he had moved.

There was a kanai thrown at him and he barely dodged it.

"Fuck," Deidara hissed as he realized just how careless he had been. The shinobi was too close for him to attempt an explosion. He shifted and was about to move when he realized there was someone behind him.

He felt his arm twist and an arm snake around his middle. "Gotcha!"

"Let go, ya fucker!"

"You are coming with us," the ANBU in front of him murmured. He had his sword in hand and Deidara, after thinking quickly, decided he was going to blow him up, screw the fact that he was just a bit to close.

Just as one of his little spiders (ones that he made a while ago and had been following him ever since) reached the ANBU a…trash can hit him.

"The ANBU stumbled and there was a flash of black. The sound of bones breaking echoed within the alleyway and the ANBU soon laid on the ground. The ANBU behind him loosened his hold and Deidara took the opportunity to jab him in the stomach. He heard a grunt and with a twist, Deidara's kick sent the ANBU flying.

"Get him, my lill' spiders!" Deidara said with a grin and a childish clap of his hands. The ANBU exploded and a scream pierced the alleyway.

He was gripped by his arm and with a jerk, he was against a hard chest. "You brat, now everyone will come here," Itachi hissed. Deidara noticed the ANBU on the floor and the blood that surrounded him.

With another jerk, they were running with Itachi leading Deidara by the arm. It was then that Deidara noticed the bloody sword in the Uchiha's hand.

"Hey Uchiha-"

"Be quiet, Deidara."

At any given time, Deidara would have done the opposite of what the Uchiha had ordered him to do but for some reason, he followed the order. He was quiet and he let the brunette lead him.

* * *

Sasuke knew what root his brother would take for the simple reason that he knew what root an Uchiha would take. He waited for him at where the entrance was, his back towards the door and he waited.

It was only a matter of time.

* * *

"Shit," Itachi mumbled as the entrance came into view.

"What's wrong?"

"Are you blind? Do you not see my brother in the way?" Itachi mumbled as they landed not a big distance from where Sasuke stood.

"Ya want me ta' blow him up, un?" Deidara asked with a tilt of his head. He received a glare for his trouble and he sighed. "Ya don't gotta get all bent out of shape, jeez…"

Itachi returned his attention towards his brother. "Move Sasuke. I do not wish to hurt you…" He raised his sword and the tip of the blade was pointed almost menacingly towards the other Uchiha.

"As if you could…"

"Do not be foolish. Do not think that simply because you could defeat me while I was weak and nearly depleted of chakra that you can defeat me now. I will not say it again. Move aside."

"You will listen to what I have to say first, Itachi," Sasuke said and it resembled a growl. "You owe me that much…"

"Oh just let me blow him up-"

"Deidara," Itachi hissed in warning and the blonde pouted beside him. "Fine, fine, un. I'll be quiet…"

"You- you took my life and you warped and changed it…" Sasuke mumbled. "You gave me some bullshit of a reason and left me to pick up the pieces. You taught me to hate at an age where I had no business hating…"

Itachi felt something stir within him, those old feelings, that old guilt he had placed at the bottom of his heart, to the darkest part of his mind.

"You abandoned the consequences and left them on my shoulders. I- I had finally begun to- no, I _had_ let you go. I decided that as long as you did not come to Konoha, that I could…that I could live for Naruto and abandon my pursuit of you. But then you come and you take him from me! He was my light, my reason for living and you took him from me! Wasn't it enough that you took my first reason in my younger years? You fucking bastard, can't you just let me…I want to let go of this hatred…I will let go of this and I will not risk anything else for you. I _will_ _not_. I have a family and they mean more to me than your death would ever mean. So leave and do not bait me anymore…leave me to live my life…Aniki…"

Itachi stood there silently and his heart felt like it would burst at any moment. Deidara was unnaturally quiet and it seemed like, for once, he did not have some witty or crude comment to make.

"Little brother…" Itachi mumbled and his eyes seemed to shine with more emotions than Sasuke could ever truly remember seeing. Perhaps when he was younger, when life was less complicated…perhaps…

"Worry…worry not. I have no business with you or this village any more. Naruto need not worry either. I will leave you and…and your family to your new life."

Sasuke nodded and his face seemed to relax. He shifted and he revealed the entrance to them. "Goodbye, Aniki…" he mumbled as Itachi and Deidara passed him.

Itachi seemed to halt for a second before he continued towards the entrance. "Farewell, little brother. If it is worth anything know I do love you…and I leave you with…_wise_ words. If you wish to know more about the massacre, if you wish to know more about this family of ours, search for our ancestor Madara, search for as much information as you can, search for all the truths and I can guarantee that these questions, among others, will be answered. Search for the truth of Madara…"

Sasuke watched them go through the entrance and by the time Itachi finished speaking, he along with Deidara were almost completely enveloped by the darkness.

He placed his brother's suggestion to the back of his mind so he could analyze it later. He had to get back to his family. That's all that mattered at the moment. That's all that mattered to him really, that's all that would ever really matter.

* * *

"Where are we goin', un?" Deidara muttered for the tenth time in under five minutes. Itachi felt a muscle on his face twitch.

"Itachi," Deidara whined, "Where are we goin'?"

"We're going to an abandoned cottage that once belonged to the Uchihas a while back, alright?" Itachi snapped. "I remembered about it while I was locked up…"

"Oh…why didn'tcha say so in da' beginnin'?" Deidara grumbled as he crossed his arms in front of him. They were still within the cave that the entrance they had taken was connected to. It had been two hours…or something hours, at least Deidara suspected it had been.

"I'm hungry…"

"Tough luck."

"Don'tcha got anything to eat?"

"At what time do you suspect I would have had time to pick up a quick snack?" Itachi said sarcastically. Deidara simply pouted. "Ya're in a crabby mood, un."

"I apologize but stupid questions mixed with stupid people annoy me."

"Hey!" Deidara hissed. "I ain't stupid, k, Uchiha? Just 'cus I don't talk as…as-"

"Correctly?" Itachi mumbled with a small smirk.

Deidara huffed. "Ya damn fucker…I ain't talking ta' ya no more!"

"Is that a promise?" Itachi said as they came to a division. He took the right route and so did Deidara.

There was silence for a couple of minutes and Itachi felt his mood surprisingly worsen.

"Hey…can I ask you somethin' Itachi?"

"Besides this you mean," Itachi said softly and his mood lightened as the other one spoke. "You may. And since when do you direct me so informally? I do not recall giving you permission to use my name."

"Meh," Deidara grumbled. "If ya can use my name, I can use yours. It's only fair, un. Ya ain't better than me…and my question, my question is why ya helped me. I would have gotten out of that situation…a bit ruffled up but I could have handled it, un."

Itachi was silent for a little too long in Deidara's opinion but he did answer eventually. "You said I could not replace Sasori…why did you say such a thing?"

Deidara muttered something and Itachi rolled his eyes. "If you are going to answer, answer so I can here you or else do not bother speaking."

"I said," Deidara said before clearing his throat. "I said that danna, danna can't be a coward and he can't give up…and he can't…he can't leave me alone…ya were gonna leave me alone and ya were gonna abandoned me…ya wouldn't have made a good danna at all!"

"I am no replacement…" Itachi said with a sneer. "I will not be Sasori's replacement for a child like you Deidara. Pick another person to whom you can push your childish ideals at."

"They ain't childish! And you ain't replacing Sasori-danna! Ya could never replace him, un!" Deidara said in a rushed whisper as he grabbed Itachi's wrist.

"Get go of me, Deidara."

"Ya could never be his replacement…" Deidara said. "I don't, I don't want a replacement 'cus then that just means that ya'll die just like Sasori-danna did. Ya'd leave me just like he did…I- I don't want that…I want a new danna. One that won't leave me again…I wanted that from ya but ya…ya can hardly stand me and ya're so mean ta' mean and ya…ya-" Deidara's trailed off, the rest of his thoughts still locked up behind his lips.

"Deidara…"

"I'm just loney…I'm lost…I've been lost so 'a long time 'cus danna left and then I thought that maybe ya could be my new danna and that ya could be different…that ya wouldn't leave me…but ya did. Ya did leave me…ya left me so 'ya could help dat' blond and ya left me so ya could get yourself killed and then when I went 'ta save ya, ya didn't care! 'Ya couldn't…ya wouldn't even help me…ya're not a good danna at all…ya don't care one bit about Deidara…not one bit and my danna…I want a danna who cares enough to live on…I can't have one that will throw everythin' away…un-uh…nope…"

Deidara released Itachi's wrist. "But thanks for helping me out of there in the end, Uchiha, un."

"Will you no longer call me by my first name?" Itachi asked softly. "I did not mind it. Not many call me by it…not anymore…"

"uh, ok…ok…Itachi…Itachi…"

Itachi simply nodded. "There you go. Do you still wish for me to answer your question, Deidara?"

"Huh?" Deidara mumbled as he blinked his aqua color eyes. He had forgotten he had asked a question. He nodded. "Sure, sure…what's ya answer Itachi?"

"I had not wished for you to get hurt," Itachi mumbled. "Not because you wished to save me. Also…for those few moments I felt like I had a reason to continue…for those few moments."

"No longer, Itachi?" Deidara said softly and Itachi was reminded of a small child receiving a praise from a teacher.

"Hmm…we will see…we will see…"

* * *

So what you think? Like always, PLEASE PLEASE inform me of any mistakes. I seriously rushed through this chapter and I barely read over it for mistakes.

Next chapter is the epilogue of sorts. It's been great guys!!

It would be great if I got 700 reviews before the end of this story. laughs But don't worry, I'll be updating as soon as I can, so don't feel to pressured into reviewing!


	19. VIII Epilogue: What We Are Living For

-**A Clan's Pride** -

**Summary:** "He can keep his heir and I will keep you…do we have a deal?" That voice was low and almost caring and Naruto, for the first time, pitied him.

**Warnings:** Yaoi; Mpreg; Angst; Language;

**Disclaimer:** Let's keep it short and swift: don't own it..

**Pairing(s):** SasuNaru, one-sided ItaNaru; ShinoKiba, GaaNeji. Hints of LeeSakura; OroKabu; ItaDei

A/N: **These's scenes are not all in chronological order. Some are one year later, some a couple months, others two/three years.**

* * *

**VIII. Epilogue: What We Are Living For**

He walked towards the large estate with ease, his steps soft all the while carrying the bundle in arms. His cloak covered him completely and the hood hid his features from view. He reached the first gate and there stood two guards and they would have been menacing to anyone else.

"State your purpose," the one at the left said gruffly and the hooded figure simply smiled as he pushed the hood down.

"I am here for the job position."

"What job?" the other said and he continued to smile. "The only one available. Seeing as you do not know what I am speaking about, bring out someone who does."

It seemed like they were thinking of not doing what he asked but there was no need. A figure was walking towards them and after a moment, he stopped. The two guards bowed.

"Kyoshi-sama…" they murmured.

The Lord's gaze merely flickered towards them before it fell upon him. "Who may I ask are you?"

"Are you the Lord of the house?"

"Indeed I am…who are you, stranger?"

"I am known as Kabuto…" he mumbled. "And I have come here for the position as medic."

Something flickered in Lord Kyoshi's eyes but he nodded stiffly. "Alright. Gin here will take you inside. I will be with you shortly."

Kabuto titled his head, his lips still tugged into a smile. "Thank you, Kyoshi-sama…" he walked passed the man and followed the dark haired guard.

Lord Kyoshi walked the faired haired man go, all the while trying to recall all that he knew about this Kabuto, the legendary Sannin Orochimaru's right hand man.

* * *

Kabuto walked through the estate and it truly did resemble a small palace. Yet his attention was on the bundle in his arms. He was singing something softly, so softly that Gin, who walked three feet before him, could barely heard him. The bundle in his arms hardly fussed and every once and awhile, would giggle.

"Here you are, stranger," Gin said as he slid a door open and bowed as Kabuto entered the room. It was shut behind him and Kabuto took a seat on the ground. He waited patiently, all the while murmuring his song at the bundle.

He did not have to wait long before Lord Kyoshi returned. He was a man of formidable height and physique and he easily towered over Kabuto's smaller frame. His dark hair was long, reaching almost the middle of his back, and was pulled back into a tight ponytail. His eyes were a light amber with more gold than brown and they seemed to twinkle almost mockingly. His face was handsome and smooth and he had an air of charisma that Kabuto could admire.

Kabuto bowed his head as Lord Kyoshi took a seat in front of him.

"Well?" Lord Kyoshi asked softly, his eyes glittering and a frown tugging his lips.

Kabuto simply smiled. "I have no doubt you have heard of me."

"I have."

"Then you know of my talents…"

"I do."

There was a silence and Kabuto, for the first time, let the smile slip. "I am here to be your medic."

"It is not I who needs to be treated."

"I do not care who is to be treated so long as I obtain the job."

"Why do you need it so much? I am more than hesitant to give help to a man who helped a monster like Orochimaru."

"Do not speak ill of my past master for you will not live long afterwards…" Kabuto warned, his eyes narrowed and his grip on the bundle in his arms tightening. Lord Kyoshi's lips twitched. "So the rumors are true? You were his lover."

"That is no concern of yours. Do I have to job or do I not?"

"Why do you require it…you have not told me your reason."

Kabuto shrugged. "You are willing to house the medic and the money you are offering is by no means a small sum."

"Is that all?" Lord Kyoshi asked with a raised eyebrow. He stood abruptly. "I will not hire you for such pity reasons."

"Wait!" Kabuto called out, his eyes widening in an almost frantic manner. "I-I have a son…I am tired of simply traveling. That is no life for a child…he will be one soon and I wish to have stability…I know of you…of your power and I know if I am under your…protection…petty enemies will not dare come after me."

"So you are doing this for your son?" Lord Kyoshi asked with a thoughtful expression. Kabuto nodded, albeit with hesitation.

"Who is the mother?"

"I am."

"Ah…truly?" Kyoshi asked with a surprised look. Kabuto glared. "Yes…I must have your answer now. I do not wish to waste any more time."

The brunette stared at him with something resembling amusement. "Alright…I will give you a chance. If my children's health improves, I will let you stay. Show me your loyalty…and I will show you my kindness."

Kabuto bowed his head. "Thank you…I- I thank you so much…you do not know how much this means to me…"

"I have a hunch…" Lord Kyoshi said with a snicker and a mocking glance. "Come, I will show you my greatest treasures…"

* * *

Master Rei was fifteen when Kabuto first met him. He had stared at Kabuto wish a disdained glance and a small snort before he returned to his game of Go with his seventeen year old brother Ryushi. Ryushi had a kind smile and for some reason Kabuto was reminded of someone, someone from his past.

"Children," Kyoshi mumbled and their eyes, for Kyoshi had six children (not all of them present), fell instantly upon their father. "This is Kabuto…until otherwise, he will be your new medic."

"What?" hissed Rei and his golden eyes flashed. "_The_ Kabuto? The man who not only restored Orochimaru's arms, but kept him powerful for so many years? His little spy? His medic? His whore?"

Kyoshi's eyes narrowed but before he could anything, Kabuto interrupted him. "For some reason, people tend to forget that while Orochimaru was strong and quite powerful, I did most of the dirty work. He came up with the plans yes, but was it not I that killed many of his enemies and those who opposed him? Be careful of how you speak to me, brat."

Rei stared at him with surprised eyes and Kabuto simply smiled, his eyes almost closing. "There are three people who you should never disrespect. Those who give you food, those who give you money and those who give you medicine, child."

"I am not a little boy and you shall treat me with respect, ya whore!"

Kabuto grinned but his eyes sparkled with something dark. "I do not treat anyone with respect unless I wish to and you, a little spoiled child, will not command me no matter who your father is. That I can guarantee you."

Rei felt a hand wrap around his arm and he was pulled back to the ground. "Be at ease, Rei-kun," Ryushi mumbled with a tender smile although a cough interrupted such a beautiful sight.

"Are you who is sick?" Kabuto asked with a calculating look. Ryushi simply chuckled. "I am one of them."

"One of them?" Kabuto echoed, his face taking a surprised look.

Kyoshi simply snickered. "I would not pay any medic such a fine if they were only taking care of one. Four of my six children are ill. Our past medic has passed away."

"Hmm, who are these four?"

Kyoshi simply smiled. "You are quite eager. Alright…come with me…I will show you my youngest child. He's around your son's age…" a sad glint seemed to enter Kyoshi's eyes. "He will resemble his mother much more than he will me…he has her spirit…"

Kabuto did not ask about the Lady of the house.

* * *

It snowed. When their second son was born, it had snowed. The procedure had been done in the evening and just as the sun was setting, it had started to snow.

"He's so small," Sasuke mumbled as he held his second born child in his arms. Naruto had lost consciousness the moment the baby was taken out of him and at first, Sasuke had panicked. Tsunade had calmed him down, it was not an easy feat, and had explained to him that Naruto was not only _exhausted _but had a fever of 103. Of course he passed out!

"Why is he so small? Yukio was not this small…never…" Sasuke continued to speak softly.

Tsunade sighed as she pulled the gloves off her hands. "He's sick. His- his lungs are irregular…damaged. I've told the two of you that he was unnaturally small in almost all Naruto's checkups…it's almost as if he's malnourished."

"What are you trying to say?!" Sasuke hissed, his dark eyes narrowing. "Naruto did everything, ate everything you suggested, he-"

"I'm not accusing him of _**anything**_. All I am saying is that your son, your second born son is sick and I am not sure why or how this has happened. I have to run test…many test."

Sasuke held the baby closer to him and the boy whimpered as if in pain. "What are his chances?" Sasuke asked, his voice low and his face unreadable.

"They- they _**seem**_ decent. I'm assuming whatever is ailing him steams from a problem with his immune system and respiratory system…I have to do test…"

Sasuke's eyes glared into hers and she ignored him. "Naruto just needs to rest. I gave him something for the fever and for the infection. He should be fine by tomorrow."

Sasuke hummed. "Alright…"

"What will you name him?" Tsunade asked as she took the baby from his father. It was a delicate looking thing with a bit of black hair and when he opened his eyes, if for only a moment, Tsunade was surprised to see his eyes were a dark, almost obsidian in tone and shine, brown. For some reason she expected it to be blue.

Sasuke ran a hand through his hair. "I- I don't…Naruto wanted to name him…he had a list and everything…"

"Alright…I'll do the papers later when he awakes," Tsunade said stiffly as she walked towards the door.

"Wait!" Sasuke called out and Tsunade stopped. She turned and as she took in the Uchiha, she felt something, perhaps amusement but less light and more sardonic, swelling in her chest.

"Haku…his name will be Haku…" Sasuke mumbled. "A snowflake…pure and white and…my little snowflake…"

Tsunade felt her heartstring being pulled by strong emotions. It was pity and something close to respect. "Alright…Uchiha Haku…"

"Yeah…Haku…lill' Haku…welcome to this cursed family of ours," Sasuke muttered but his eyes shined with something close to joy.

Tsunade left him alone with a sleeping Naruto.

* * *

"God fuckin' damnit, if ya touch me one more time, ya fucking lard I'll cut ya fuckin' balls off, un!" he hissed as he turned around and glared at the large man that sat on table five with three other friends.

It was a decent cover, it would be blown in a couple of weeks and they would have to move but at the moment, it was alright. However, if this…this pest kept-

Deidara hissed as he felt a hand grab his arm and jerk him towards the direction of the fat man. "Feisty blonde, aren'tcha?"

"Ya disgusting-" A hand smacked his lower back and he bristled. His leg lifted and he kicked the man right in the stomach. The fat man coughed and gasped as he fell to the ground, his friends standing and their glares directed towards Deidara.

"Fucking pervert! Ya lucky I-"

"Deidara," a voice called out and Deidara turned, his eyes falling upon a brunette figure.

"Danna!" Deidara said with a grin and the brunette frowned. "Let's go, Deidara…leave the pests…"

"Of course," Deidara said with a grin as he ran towards the dark-haired man.

"Oi! Deidara! What the fuck do you think you are doing? Your shift is not over! And how dare you attack a customer!"

"He should have kept his dirty hands ta' himself, he's lucky I didn't cut off his balls like I said I was gonna do, un!" Deidara said with a huff. He crossed his arms in front of him. "Be lucky Itachi-danna needs me or else I would have!"

"Deidara, enough. Let's go."

"Mah, mah…coming, coming…" Deidara said as he followed Itachi out of the restaurant he had been working in for the past week.

The restaurant owner let out something resembling a growl and the people in the restaurant just watched as the man exploded, not literally of course. "That's it! You're fired! I'm tired of you taking breaks that aren't yours and harassing the customers!"

Deidara rolled his eyes as they walked down the street. "He acts like I really needed da job or soemthin', un! Ne, Itachi, where we going?"

"We're leaving. I heard a rumor…it is unsettling."

"Hmm…mah…alright, alright…can I blow up the restaurant before we go, un?" Deidara asked with a thoughtful expression and a small grin. Itachi rolled his eyes. "Do what you wish."

"Yay!" Deidara said with a growing grin. "I'll be right back!" he said.

Itachi sighed. He didn't know why he indulged the blond. They had been moving around for a year now and in almost every village, Deidara would work a normal job. Itachi suspected he actually liked doing such jobs, because god knows that he didn't **need** to. Being a mercenary paid for more than just food and Itachi did his job well. Deidara would help at times but at others, he would insist on working as a waiter or something similar. More often than not, he would blow up the restaurant after they left too.

Itachi shook his head, he just didn't get it. There were times he woke up with the blond beside him, for Deidara refused to sleep anywhere else but at his side, and Itachi would run his fingers through those fair locks. The next day he would take Deidara out and he would spoil the younger shinobi, buy him whatever he wanted, let him do whatever he wished. He would take him to eat and to anywhere else he wished.

But then again, he mused silently, he spoiled the boy every day, not just those days.

"I'm back," Deidara whispered in Itachi's ears as he grabbed Itachi's arm and hugged it against his chest. Itachi merely grunted in acknowledgement. The explosion and the sound of screaming did not stop them. They continued to walk casually as if nothing was amiss.

* * *

"Can you say dad? Da? Daddy?" Naruto asked as he sat in front of a young Yukio. The baby giggled at his dad's antics, his hands reaching out towards him. Naruto sighed, "Come on Yukio! You can do it! Please…just say da…" he pointed at himself, "Da…dad…da…"

Sasuke snorted from across the room as he walked towards his family. "You're doing it wrong, Naruto." Yukio had spoken before but it seemed he did not like to repeat words he was actually suppose to repeat, words they wanted him to repeat. Sasuke mentally sighed. Not even two and he was a difficult kid.

"Huh? What'cha mean?" Naruto asked as he made room for Sasuke. Sasuke simply smirked as he turned towards Yukio. "Son, he's…ma," he said as he pointed at Naruto before pointing at himself, "I'm da."

"What the fuck!"

"Watch your language. Again Yukio, ma…da…ma…da…"

"Sasuke! Don't tell him that!"

"He's ma and I'm da. Say ma."

"Don't! Yukio! Don't! I'm da! Da! Da!"

"Yukio, listen to your father," Sasuke said as he pushed Naruto to the side. "Who's he? Say ma."

Naruto tried to shove Sasuke out of the way but his husband would not budge. "Yukio! I'm-"

"Ma!" There was silence for a moment and it was promptly cut off by Naruto's shriek. "No! No! Yukio-"

"Ma! Ma! Ma! Ma!" Yukio continued to chant as he giggled and motioned for Naruto to pick him up. Sasuke smirked. "There's my boy! Who am I? I'm da. Da, say da!"

"No, Yukio-"

"Say da," Sasuke said as he pointed at himself, all the while ignoring Naruto's exclamations. Yukio stared at them in something resembling confusion as they bickered and continued to try to talk over one another. Finally he giggled as he clapped his hands together, his eyes now on his father. "Da! Da!" he said loudly as he motioned for Sasuke to pick him up after seeing that Naruto wasn't going to.

Sasuke smirked as he picked his first son. "Good boy, Yukio. I'm very proud of you."

"This is not fair! I've tried all day-"

"Ma! Ma! Da! Da!" Yukio continued to say, his giggles bringing a smile to Naruto's face despite the unfairness he now faced.

Sasuke merely shrugged. "It's easier this way…besides, you are his mother. You should accept it."

"Sasuke…" Naruto growled, his face twisting into a nasty frown.

Sasuke simply smirked. "You shouldn't get yourself so worked up, it's not good for the baby," he said as he leaned towards Naruto and kissed him gently on the lips. Naruto's hands fell upon his round stomach. "Shut it," he murmured but his glare was not as harsh.

Yukio grumbled something that sounded suspiciously like "hungry" and "Ma, da" as he wiggled in Sasuke's grasp.

"Yukio, stop moving so much before I drop you damn it," Sasuke grumbled and received a punch on the shoulder.

"Hey! What was that for?"

"Don't say such things to Yukio," Naruto said as he glared.

"It's not like he can understand…" Sasuke muttered.

"He's more than a year old! Doesn't matter if he doesn't understand, the fact is he can repeat it. He can already say 'kill', 'asshole', 'moron', 'bitch' and 'dobe'," at the last one Naruto glared. "I'm not the least bit surprised it's taken him this long to learn 'ma' and 'da'."

"If I recall, you're the one that taught him 'bitch'."

"Oh shut it!" Naruto said as he arrived at the kitchen.

Yukio whimpered and Sasuke hummed. "Calm down, Yukio. You're mommy is just a bit irritated. It happens while he's in this sort of condition," Sasuke said as he made his way towards the living room.

He could hear Naruto's muttering but he ignored it as he placed Yukio on the rug located in the middle of living room. Many of his toys were laid about and Yukio instantly crawled towards his favorite one, a stuffed blue cat. He placed the tail in his mouth and Sasuke sighed. Damn it, what was it with this kid and putting everything in his mouth?

"Yukio…" he mumbled but his son merely blinked at his direction before he went back to his playing.

As he watched Yukio play, making sure he didn't get to close to the table because the last thing he needed was Yukio hitting his head _again_, he silently mused over his life.

There were just some things that made life worth living.

* * *

"We may have a problem…"

"Really?"

"Hm…it seems that the Uchiha clan is no longer at the brink of extinction. They say Uchiha Sasuke has more than one son now and that Uchiha Itachi has a lover who is rumored to be with child…"

"Hmm…But they are merely toddlers…correct? Nothing to worry about, but we will keep an eye on them. Our attention should be on the Akatsuki. They are a dangerous group."

"They are nothing we cannot handle, Master."

"True," he mumbled as he smiled easily. "But I would like it very much if they were to be watched…just in case…they have Madara afterall"

"Of course."

"Do not worry, my friend, all will be well. We will not have to wait much longer…just a couple more years…a little bit more. What are a few years compared to the decades we have spent imprisoned?"

"Nothing, my Lord."

"Yes, indeed nothing. Besides, for our plan to work, time is a key factor…as is the next generation. Oh how lovely…my orchids have bloomed. Aren't they beautiful, Akemi?"

"Yes, they are truly beautiful, Hideaki-sama."

"Are they more beautiful than I?" he murmured, his eyes glittering in something close to amusement. Strong arms wrapped around him. "Of course not. Nothing…nothing could ever surpass your beautiful…nothing."

"Hmm…" he mumbled. "Madara will be very angry if he were to ever hear you say such a thing to me. He banished us here, did he not?"

"I will kill him for you, I will bring you his head for imprisoning you, my Lord."

"All in good time, all in good time. Come, let us go inside. I am hungry and I am tired of thinking of those Uchihas…"

"Of course, let's go."

They entered the castled in silent steps, their thoughts still on that cursed family despite what they had said.

That damned clan and their damned blood and their damned pride.

* * *

Tenshi was seven years old. He had grey eyes that were his daddy's and black, velvet hair that reached the middle of his back. He usually wore it loose. His daddy was perhaps the best medic around and he was quite proud of him.

His daddy had long pale hair that reached his waist which was usually kept braided and the same grey eyes as Tenshi. He was _**almost**_ always smiling. He didn't like seeing his daddy when he wasn't smiling. His eye sight was not good but he did not like wearing his glasses so he did anything that would get him out of wearing them.

His daddy, like stated before, was a medic. He was the personal medic of the Jomei Clan, a wealthy and powerful family that's estate was located in the Fire Country. Kyoshi-sama had six children and most of them were sick. His daddy took care of them.

Tenshi liked the youngest child, young Master Yuuji, the most. They were good friends and Kyoshi-sama had asked him to always take care of Master Yuuji who was the sickest of all his children. Of course, Tenshi accepted because Yuuji was fun to play and they had been friends since they were toddlers.

But of course he did not like Yuuji more than he liked his daddy. He could never love anyone more than he loved his daddy. Nope, never.

His daddy was beautiful and everyone in the estate thought so. Even Kyoshi-sama. Even his oldest children. Even the guards and the maids and the cooks and…everyone!

Tenshi smiled as his father wrapped his thin arms around him. Tenshi leaned against his daddy's chest and giggled. "Look daddy! Look what I made! You like it, right?"

"Like it?" his daddy whispered as if they were talking in secret. "I love it, my little angel. I love it." Tenshi grinned as he placed the crown of flowers on his daddy's head. "That's good! I'm going to make you a bracelet to!"

"Alright…go on then…"

Kabuto watched his son run through the large garden and something like joy spread through him. His little angel…his reason for living…for going on…for everything he did.

* * *

Itachi watched as Deidara slept, his hair free from its usual bond and a look of content and…innocence upon his face. He watched the boy sleep and he felt something stir within him, the same feeling that once stirred-

"Itachi-danna…it's cold…" Deidara mumbled, his eyes barely opened as he stared to the direction of where Itachi sat.

He stood from the windowsill just as it began to snow and he stopped for a second to marvel at nature's beauty. "Hmm…it is snowing…" he commented as he stood and grabbed a comforter from the closet. He took it to the bed and positioned it over Deidara's figure.

"I want ya to lay with me, un."

"Not now, Deidara. I am not tired."

"Please…" the blond whimpered and just like with all the other cases where Deidara stared at him like that, Itachi felt his resolve crumble. He slid under the two comforters and rested next to the ex-Akatsuki member. The blond shifted and rested his head against the Uchiha's shoulder.

"Ya think ta' much, I'chi"

"I don't like it when you call me that…"

"Ya not suppose to like your nicknames, un. Besides, ya arrogant son of 'ah bitch. I'm calling ya number one, ya should be faltered."

Itachi hummed and he could feel a smile tugging his lips. He recalled what Naruto once told him. He wondered if the Kyuubi vessel would be proud of him. He had found his light.

* * *

Naruto watched his youngest son sleep, his worry still not placed at ease. Haku was so small. Too small. He was not like Yukio who was loud and seemed to be made of pure energy. Haku was quiet and spent almost too much time sleeping.

Naruto did not know what to do. His little baby…

He felt arms encircle him. "Naruto, don't tell me you've been here all night. He's fine…"

"No, no he's not…he's not fine at all!" Naruto said softly yet his voice still broke. He turned and his arms wrapped around Sasuke. "Our little baby!"

"I know, I know…shh…he's going to be fine. I promise. I won't let anything happen to him, Nothing."

"You promise?" Naruto asked, his voice like a child's. He knew that it was unfair to ask Sasuke to promise such a thing. They could not protect their child from everything. But he wanted a little reassurance. If only a little.

"I promise. I promise, Naruto. He- He's like a snowflake…I'm going to make sure he never disappears…he's- he's going to be alright. Please believe me."

"Yeah…yeah, I believe you."

"Good, good," Sasuke said as he ran his hand over the back of Naruto's head. Even after a month with their newest baby, it was still hard to accept it.

"It's not my fault, right Sasuke…I did everything right, right? I didn't do this to him…right? Oh God, Sasuke! Please tell me…"

"Naruto!" Sasuke hissed and Naruto was surprised to hear the anger in his husband's voice. "Naruto…" he mumbled once more with less heat, "You- you are not responsible. Do you understand me? You did nothing wrong and it is not your fault. It is in no shape or form, your fault. You- you cared so much and did so much and- god Naruto, have you been thinking this all this time? Did you honestly think I blamed you?"

"Sasuke…I'm…god I just want my baby to be alright! I- I don't want him to be like this! He's so small and-"

"No, no, no! Naruto! No! You listen to me…he's an Uchiha and he will be one of the best. He- he will be…he's our son…do you have so little faith in him?"

"Our son…our son…no…I have faith in him…my whole heart…I know he's going to be good but I- I can't help but worry…"

"You have nothing to worry about. This- this is my family and I will always, always protect it. I won't let anything happen…I won't, god I won't!"

"Good, good…good…" Naruto mumbled. "Thank you…thank you so much, Sasuke…I don't know what I would do…I'd do anything for you…anything for this family…"

"And I could not go on if anything happened to you…you are my life…and these children…our children…they are becoming quite important to me also…god I love you so much…never forget that, Naruto. Never."

Naruto smiled a small, teary smile. "I won't. Never…"

The sun was just beginning to peak over the horizon and they did not bother to go back to sleep, they did not bother to move.

Yukio's voice broke through the moment. They pulled apart and just as they were about to move towards Yukio's room, Haku awoke. He shifted and fussed, his arms flying about and a cry broke out.

Naruto laid his fingers over his lips as he felt tears start to collect in his eyes. Haku did not cry much, he barely cried at all. Naruto had walked in many times to see Haku staring up, not making a sound, barely fussing.

The sound of him crying was something so beautiful. So beautiful. He glanced towards Sasuke who was staring at the baby in the crib with a mix expression. It was a tender expression that Naruto rarely saw.

Yukio was nearly one when Sasuke had stared at him like that. Naruto felt his heart clench in some foreign emotion. He felt a sense of foreshadowing, something nagging him. He shook his head. "Why don't you go see Haku, Sasuke? I'll get Yukio." He smiled at Sasuke who merely nodded his head.

The brunette bent down and carefully carried his son in his arms. "Shh…lill' snowflake…what's wrong? Shh…daddy's here…I'm here…shhh…"

As Sasuke walked down the stairs with his son in his arms, Haku became quiet. Yet he was awake, his large black eyes staring up at his father.

Naruto was already downstairs with a nearly two year old Yukio.

"Hungry! Hungry!" Yukio said as he slammed his hands against the surface of his highchair. Sasuke watched as Naruto laughed at their son's antics and he looked down at the son in his arms.

This was what he lived for. For his family. His beautiful, beautiful family.

**End**

* * *

**PLEASE READ MESSAGE BELOW!!**

That's the end of _A Clan's Pride_! –smile- As stated above, this chapter wasn't going in chronological order so yeah. It skipped around a lot.

Thank you to all of those who have stuck with this story and have reviewed! You guys have been awesome!

As I said,** I will be making a sequel** and I do have some plans already in my head. The structure will be slightly different compared to this. By this I mean that I'm thinking of starting from a point where Yukio and Haku are teenagers and then have some chapters that go back in time to where they were kids. Then the "future" chapters will be telling the main part of the story. Get it? Don't worry if you don't, you'll see eventually!

I hope you guys liked this chapter, I worked so hard on it. It was actually REALLY hard to write it for some reason, probably because it was the last one.

**About the sequel, I'm thinking of updating a note in this story saying when the sequel is up. What do you guys think?**

Once more, thank you! **Oh, I'll dedicate the first chapter of my story to whoever can guess some of the pairings that will be in the sequel. I'll give you a hint, Haku will end up with someone as will Yukio and who they end up with know each other**! –smile-

Anyway, see you guys once my first chapter for the sequel is done!

P.S. LIKE ALWAYS! TELL ME IF YOU GUYS FIND ANY MISTAKES!! I WANTED THIS OUT TODAY SO I PROBABLY DIDN'T CATCH ALL THE MISTAKES!!


	20. About the Sequel

Guess what?! I've updated the sequel!

Go to my bio and find it! It's called "Love Between Pride". Don't forget to review!


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